


Undefeated Dragon Ouroboros

by Specter3922



Category: Highschool DxD (Anime)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2020-10-05 20:01:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 45
Words: 62,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20494514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Specter3922/pseuds/Specter3922
Summary: The Underworld was one of the Three Factions devastated by The Great War that killed the God of the Bible, The Four original Devil Kings and crippled the Fallen Angels. But what if another entity altogether took up arms in an attempt to bring them to ruin.Follow Adrien, a condemned man in his journey of Revenge and Redemption, he'll make powerful allies and equally powerful enemies and experience hardships like no other.





	1. The Destroyer

_5 years ago…_

_The red haired girl looked to the sky_

_As if she was being absorbed, the red-haired girl looked up to the deep, dark sky, as if enchanted by it._

_However, something was off… the lower region of the sky stained crimson._

_The crimson flames that were wavering within…_

_The powerful Gremory family that controlled a large mass of land in the underworld. The Gremory Castle was being besieged._

_A castle the size of a country that overlooked the massive landmass that was the Gremory family’s territory._

_The red-haired girl simply looked up to the sky while being surrounded by sparks that fell down to the ground around her._

_There was a Dragon dancing in the sky, it was a battle between a rampaging Dragon and Devils that were desperately trying to survive, with lives just hanging by a thread. The raging dragon was clad in tyrannical black armor that gave off its proper fiendish nature._

_Hundreds of Devils danced in the blazing sky as they tried to challenge the rampaging dragon, however they merely ended up having their wings torn off and fell._

_“Aren’t you going to run and hide?”_

_The red-haired girl turned around; hearing a voice from behind her._

_There was a young adult standing there, with a handsome face with charcoal colored hair and a pair of golden eyes._

_That man who wore a cape with a refined design imprinted on it acted in a manner like that of a noble, but he looked at the girl with a maniacal look in his eyes._

_However, the girl clad in a school uniform who had confusion in her eyes didn’t get scared and instead gazed at the young adult with her blue eyes._

_“….. Were you the one that killed them? The citizens of the underworld—“_

_“The people in the surrounding area… I did… Will you avenge them knowing that? Fine, bring it.”_

_Instead of trembling at the question thrown at him, he drew his sword out with joy. It was a beautiful golden blade with silver lines on its surface._

_The ominous aura it gave off hinted it was a Sacred Gear, one of the divine gifts from the God of the Bible._

_“If you did, then kill me right here as well.”_

_“What……?”_

_The young adult twitched his eyebrows at what the red-haired girl muttered._

_“If the devils are going to fall here, then what happens to me if you won’t kill me?”_

_The young adult made an eerie look, and stared at the girl._

_“….. Kuhahahaha! If we wanted to massacre all the devils, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. We’re causing some carnage, and we need people around to witness it.”_

_After a pause, the young adult began laughing in complete hysteria…_

_“AHAHAHAHAHAHA! It certainly is amusing to think you’d ACTUALLY want to die.”_

_After the man said that, he took the other sword that was hanging on his hip along with its sheath and threw it to the red-haired girl._

_On the sheath was beautiful gold ornaments carved into it. It was shining a beautiful crimson… the same as the girl’s hair._

_“I’ll give that to you. The ‘power’ that will change fate— that artificial sacred gear. So flee while taking that with you. It is likely that this area will be reduced to ruin very soon, lady.”_

_The man said that while putting on a smile that didn’t carry any of the craziness he had till this moment._

_The red-haired girl picked up the sword silently. She embraced the sword which her body wasn’t accustomed to, along with the sheath._

_After the young adult smiled fearlessly seeing that, he turned around and walked into the castle._

_“Wait.”_

_“What’s wrong?”_

_The dark-haired young adult stopped due to the girl’s voice, and he turned around reluctantly._

_“What is that……?”_

_The girl pointed to the sky._

_Up in the sky was a monster that was tearing apart the devils, this monster was known as an absolute undefeated myth._

_It flew in many directions in the sky where there were sparks. It was a black dragon that had eyes the same color as the sky._

_“Hehehe…… No idea. Except, for the majority of people, you can call it [The Destroyer that brought ruin to the devils.]”_  
_ The man disappeared during the time the girl looked up once again. The red-haired girl wanted to live to find out more about what had happened._

**End of Prologue**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first time I've used Archive Of Our Own, so I hope for a good experience with constructive feedback in response.


	2. The Sins Of One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tyrant Massacre was a true disaster in the Underworld for Devils. While they lick their wounds, those that perpetrated the act seek to continue evading justice, but fate however has a strange way of changing plans.

_Asgard_

Adrien Freeman, a former member of the Khaos Brigade and a fugitive on the run. Wanted dead or alive for his involvement in a crisis in the Underworld 5 years ago, ever since then he’s been on the run, constantly moving to avoid being captured, however, you can only run so far…

Adrien was a young man at the age of 21, he had black hair and grey eyes set in a saddened expression. He possesses an athletic build and is roughly 6 foot. He was wearing a black short sleeved shirt, a dark red jacket, grey combats with a leather belt and black boots. Strapped to the side of his belt was a black and red serrated longsword kept in a sturdy scabbard. Wrapped around him was a dark, high collared cloak.

“Halt! In the name of Asgard!” a female voice shouted, with a powerful queenly nature to it. Suddenly out of the blue, numerous Valkyries clad in silver armor had Adrien surrounded, but it appeared that the one leading the Valkyries was a Valkyrie distinctly different from the others. Dark brown hair flowing freely and emerald colored eyes gave her a beautiful, mystifying visage, she was donning armor consisting of a pale white that shined in the utmost beautiful manner and emerald green, just like her eyes. A pristine blue cloak added to the mystifying look she had.

Having nowhere else to go, Adrien unclipped his scabbard, drew his blade and impaled it into the ground. After tossing the scabbard to one side he simply rose his hands into the air and knelt down, showing a clear sign of surrender.

“(Sorry I couldn’t keep my promise Arthur.)” Adrien said to himself, knowing any chance of reuniting with someone who was a far better brother than his own flesh and blood had just died.

One of Valkyries who was clad in gold armor in contrast to the primarily silver and blue armor noted the broken look on Adrien’s face, “He’s… broken.” She stated out loud.

“His sins would come back to haunt him eventually, Thrúd.” The Valkyrie leading the group stated.

“So, what do we do? At the end of the day, he’s still a fugitive on the run. Thrúd asked, still shocked by the broken expression on Adrien’s face.

The lead Valkyrie, whose name was Freyja suddenly had an idea in her head. Considering the notoriety of the man before her, perhaps his abilities could prove useful and he may get closure and an alternative to sitting in a cell for the rest of his life or facing execution.

“Perhaps…” Freyja started with a smirk, “We’ll have use for him outside of being a prisoner.”

* * *

_Freyja’s Office_

Freyja, Thrúd and Adrien were gathered in Freyja’s personal office where she took care of smaller matters such as letters received from other mythologies.

“I just remembered something about your affiliations. You some time ago went solo and left the Khaos Brigade correct?” Freyja interrogated.

“Yeah… and?” Adrien responded.

“Wouldn’t you know of their movements?” Freyja assumed.

“If I did, wouldn’t you think I’d have done something with it?” Adrien retorted, Freyja and Thrúd came to the realization that he was as clueless as they were, “Last time I associated with the Khaos Brigade was five years ago. Since then, I’ve been on the run.”

“The [Tyrant Massacre]” Thrúd referenced, knowing the event all too well despite never being at the site of such… unholy carnage.

“So, you’re in the dark as much as us then.” Freyja noted, “I had hoped we’d be able to get the upper hand on those terrorists.”

“That’s nothing more than a pipe dream, considering how they operate.” Adrien stated.

“So, what do we do? We can’t go after the Khaos Brigade because we have no clue about their location, yet they can attack us whenever.” Thrúd ranted, expressing her frustration.

“I understand the frustration, I would sooner settle the score with them, but it isn’t that simple.” Adrien said with sympathy, “It’s never that simple.”

“I suppose I should get onto why I didn’t have you arrested upon arrival.” Freyja decided, quickly moving the conversation forward, “Are you aware of who we are?”

“The names have escaped me.” Adrien admitted, his knowledge on the Norse getting a tad bit rusty.

“I am Freyja, Queen of Asgard and the Vanir… and the absolute vision of beauty among all the nine realms as the goddess of fertility and passion.” Freyja explained, a coy smile revealing itself toward the second half of her statement.

Despite Adrien’s infamy practically being legendary, he was still a shy, young man beneath the frightening visage. His blushing face proving this point as factual.

Freyja smiled at Adrien’s shyness was nothing short of infectious, the Queen of Asgard could tell that there had to have been a kind, young man at heart… that something had to have triggered the Tyrant Massacre or it would have never happened.

“Beside me is Thrúd Thorsdottir, a Valkyrie in service to me for the time being.” Freyja continued explaining.

“(Of course, the blond hair is a giveaway.)” Adrien said to himself.

“I recently thought of an idea regarding you staying in Asgard. Instead of being a prisoner, a person of your ability would greatly benefit from being my personal guard.” Freyja mentioned, before a confused Adrien could comment she continued with, “While my Valkyries are great at their job, they may not always be around to protect me when I need it and I’m certain someone of your caliber would easily be able to keep my life intact.”

Adrien contemplated the idea and Freyja indeed made very valid points regarding his abilities. There wasn’t much room to argue with her logic, “I’ll take up the job.” Adrien replied.

“Excellent, I suppose it would be ideal to get you situated with Asgard as a whole.” Freyja suggested.

Just before the three were about to leave the office, Thrúd stopped Adrien just as Freyja left. “I just want to make one thing clear.” Thrúd stated with a firm tone and fierce glare, Adrien simply returning the glare, “Don’t think for a second you’ve earned my trust. As far as I’m concerned, You… Are… A… Criminal.”

“You ever seen someone go mad because they thought they’d lost someone that was family?” Adrien said, leaving the room with a shook Thrúd on her own.

“(He… went… mad?)” Thrúd tried register what Adrien was implying, only to end up feeling a chill go through her body. “(Was the reason he committed the [Tyrant Massacre] because he lost someone close to him and went mad as a result? What actually happened during the [Tyrant Massacre])”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This the beginning of Arc 1- Second Chances. Adrien make his presence known yet there are certain mysteries surrounding his character that will be revealed in due time.


	3. Reawaken the Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A familiar enemy seeks to harm those in Asgard while the Khaos Brigade remains a mystery to the Norse people, how does Adrien respond despite his criminal nature?

** Chapter 2- Reawaken the Dragon **

After a quick tour of Asgard, noting the useful places briefly in the back of his mind. Adrien was brought to looked like a training yard. Training dummies and archery targets littered the area, Adrien had specifically requested to have the opportunity to take off ring rust from his lack of usage of his Sacred Gear.

“You will face off against both Thrúd and Rossweisse, who has taken up the task of being that lecherous fool Odin’s bodyguard.” Freyja stated. The two aforementioned Valkyries taking a fighting stance, Rossweisse heading into the air while Thrúd drew an ornate golden axe.

Adrien was momentarily distracted by Rossweisse’s beauty, but soon snapped out of his trance when Thrúd approached, her weapon’s powerful swings forcing Adrien to evade each one with precise, sharp motions that wasted no stamina.

“Your attacks are too slow.” Adrien commented, Rossweisse conjured a variety of elemental runes to hopefully blindside her foe but he knew her attack was coming,

“Your timing’s off by a second or two at most, [**Sealed Fate**].” With that Adrien unleashed a dark aura that prevented the casting of Rossweisse’s magic, surprising Freyja and shocking Thrúd, but she soon recovered and attempted to attack Adrien who quickly evaded her attacks by sidestepping them and with but a simple prick to her wrist, forced her axe out of her hands.

As Thrúd went for her axe, Adrien pointed his Sacred Gear at her, forcing her to surrender. “Seems like I still have it… huh.” Adrien noted.

“No wonder you’re among the Top 10.” Thrúd commented.

“Rossweisse, if I may be so inclined. I’ve not had this until now but when I casted my Sacred Gear’s dispelling effect, I felt… resistance. It seems your spells are that complex that it takes a slight bit longer to activate the dispelling effect.” Adrien said in Rossweisse’s direction, complimenting her abilities.

“Our Rossweisse has always been talented when it comes to advanced magic spells.” Freyja said, Thrúd grinning ear-to-ear to further prove it.

To interrupt the moment, the well-known Gjallarhorn was blowing loud, signalling an attack on Asgard, “We’re under attack?” Thrúd wondered, it was at that moment that a horde of hundreds of autonomous dragon-like suits of armor started soaring through the sky, the screams of innocent civilians followed.

“Focus on getting the people indoors, I’ll handle the attack!” Adrien instructed calmly, drawing his Sacred Gear and pointing it at the sky.

“Will you be okay on your own?” Freyja asked, the look in Adrien’s eyes answered her question, she, Thrúd and Rossweisse began making their way to where the civilian populace was under attack, giving Adrien space to concentrate.

“[Return from the Tower of the Double Helix. Revert all of Existence to Zero and establish the Laws of the Creation of Heaven and Earth. Awaken, Ouroboros!]” Adrien recited something between a passcode and an incantation, after this a fiery red aura covered his entire body. When the fires died down, he was clad in a black dragon-like armor with hints of red in it, the armor gave off the impression of a black dragon of majesty, this was his Balance Breaker and a highly advanced one at that.

The visor that acted as face protection for Adrien adjusted to his face, covering his grey eyes with red lenses as he took flight to challenge the horde.

* * *

Meanwhile in the midst of the city, Asgard’s soldiers were struggling to defend against the high-tech aerial foe that was before them. “They’re everywhere!” one of the soldiers screamed, only to be cut down in the process.

Just as Freyja, Thrúd and Rossweisse arrived on the scene to try and reduce the casualties, Adrien flew overhead, donning his Balance Breaker, simultaneously wiping out numerous autonomous dragon armors, leaving only pieces behind. “What are the casualties?” Freyja asked, assuming her queenly nature once more.

“Whatever these things are don’t go down easily and for each one we take down; we lose close to ten men in the process.” The Hersir (commander) of the soldiers explained.

“Allow us to take care of the wounded, make sure the civilians are out of the open.” Freyja instructed, the Hersir simply responded by taking the rest of the able-bodied soldiers to wherever the enemy had struck.

Adrien was face-to-face with the leader of the invading force. They was a man in their prime with slicked back dark brown hair, brown eyes and was donning was appeared to be the same armor at the autonomous army that he was leading, except his armor took a white and gold color scheme in contrast to the green and white color scheme of the army.

“Ernest Valentine… you have the most basic Balance Breaker and you’re up against one of the most dangerous people to ever affiliate with the Khaos Brigade. Are you blind, deaf or outright stupid?” Adrien mocked.

“I may have a basic ‘Abnormal Gear’, but I’ve honed my abilities to the point of perfect mastery over this Balance Breaker, which is more than I can say for your [Ouroboros].” Ernest retorted, maintaining a calm composure.

“Go ahead.” Adrien taunted, “Make… My… Day…”

The two swordsmen clashed in the sky, sparks flying as white & gold met black & red. A high speed, high intensity clash commenced within the skies of Asgard, the rest of the autonomous army staying still for the time-being.

Ernest was quickly put on the defense so to make up his lack of firepower, he signalled for the rest of the army to attack Adrien, forcing the Undefeated Dragon on the defensive.

With Adrien on the defensive, Ernest opted to use a technique he spent a large portion of his life making sure he mastered it, “[**Hyper-Strike**]” Ernest rushed Adrien at blistering speed and despite being occupied with the automated army, he still managed to parry Ernest’s attack, shocking him greatly. 

“Impossible, I perfected that technique! There’s no way you could block it so easily.” Ernest spat out in disbelief.

“If you did your homework, you’d have known that I came up with the technique you just used.” Adrien explained.

Ernest at this point was absolutely irate and in a ferocious attempt to cut Adrien down, he charged at him head on, only to be struck down by Adrien and have his army be wiped out afterwards as it immediately scattered.

* * *

Freyja, Thrúd and Rossweisse were watching their battle the entire time, none of them were surprised that it was so one-sided, but they had to commend their foe for knowing how to strike the civilian populace with the intent on dealing as large an amount of damage as possible.

When Adrien landed beside them, his Balance Breaker dissipated and he fell forward into Freyja’s arms, completely exhausted from using Ouroboros’ powerful Balance Breaker. “Well done.” Freyja simply commented, allowing her new bodyguard to rest.

“I suppose… I have some room to trust you now.” Thrúd admitted, earning a smile from Adrien.

* * *

Near the outskirts of Asgard, a young girl in her teens with shoulder length black hair and grey eyes. She was wearing a white long-sleeved, button-down shirt with vertical linings, a black ribbon on the collar, a black shoulder cape and matching button down corset, a knee length magenta skirt with white accents and black dress shoes.

“He has to be here… but where?” the young girl wondered.

“Excuse me miss, can I help you?” a tall, handsome man in his early twenties asked, causing the young girl to feel startled. He had white-gold hair, gold eyes, a beard and was wearing a fitting white suit.


	4. The Peacekeeping Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new visitor appears on Asgard's doorsteps, who turns to be someone Adrien treasures more than life itself. While she was away, it appears things between the Three Factions are stirring up, but will Adrien answer the call to arms to prevent disaster?

Adrien had grown famous as Asgard’s saviour, but he had mostly remained away from the populace because he didn’t want to be at the center of attention. He was in Freyja’s Office on his own simply reading the tales of one of Asgard’s greatest heroes, Sigurd. Then somebody visited, someone he was very close with.

“Brother…” the young girl said.

“Tasha…” Adrien said, overcome with joy.

The two embraced in a warm hug, that kind that someone would yearn for after years of being separated. “Thank goodness you’re okay.” Tasha said, “Sorry I was gone for so long. I had lots of work to do.”

“I’m just glad I haven’t lost you.” Adrien stated, the two released each other from their embrace, then Freyja arrived after having visited the soldiers who were injured as a result of the previous attack.

“Who is this unannounced visitor?” Freyja wondered.

“Uh! I’m sorry if I’ve caused you any trouble!” Tasha quickly said, bowing to Freyja.

“She’s my younger sister, her name’s Tasha.” Adrien explained calmly.

“As long as your sister doesn’t cause trouble. I see no reason to have her leave. Despite her sudden and unannounced arrival.” Freyja said with a motherly smile.

* * *

Later on, Thrúd had gathered with a friend of hers at the student dormitory room she resided in so she could introduce Adrien and Tasha to a friend of hers from a school for Valkyries.

“This is Kara, me and her are kind of the trouble-makers in our group.” Thrúd stated, pointing to the brown haired Valkyrie to her left. Just as everyone was acquainted, Rossweisse arrived.

“I trust everyone is doing well.” Rossweisse chimed in.

“Yes. We was just getting to know one another.” Kara said with a grin.

“Perhaps… I could chaperone for a bit.” Rossweisse commented, constantly maintaining her professional attitude, “Just to make sure no trouble rises.”

While Rossweisse was sitting down, Tasha whispered something in Adrien’s ear that left a look of great concern in his eyes. “I’m going to get some air. Give me a couple of minutes.” Adrien said, quickly exiting the room afterwards.

Everyone else seemed concerned or suspicious of the sudden exit of the two residents.

Some distance away, Adrien and Tasha were in a place out of the way to avoid any attention. “What seems to be the problem?” Adrien wondered.

“Well, I decided to move to Japan, specifically Kuoh Town but I think one of the Fallen Angels are going to attack the school there.” Tasha explained in a fretful tone.

“Kuoh Town… that’s devil territory.” Adrien noted with a displeased tone.

“I know what happened with the devils but if you’re not going to help them… at least help your younger sister.” Tasha pleaded, almost in tears at the possibility of losing a place to call home.

“There’s no way I’d get permission from Freyja to help though.” Adrien stated, if Asgard got involved unannounced, it could cause a lot of complications, however he recalled one VERY important detail regarding one of the devils in that area, “Change of plans, we’ll need to go immediately. We need to get to Freyja’s office as soon as possible.”

Just as the two were passing the student dorms, Thrúd piped in noticing them in a hurry. “What’s the problem?” She asked with concern.

“We have a crisis in Midgard, and I need to intervene, **Now**.” Adrien firmly explained.

* * *

_Freyja’s Office_

“So, let me get this straight. Midgard is in danger both because of the three factions there AND a weapon that they seem to be unaware of.” Freyja stated, trying to confirm Adrien’s fears.

“That’s right.” Adrien answered, handing Freyja a file on the destructive weapon, “It was given the codename [Zahhak’s Madness] among those in the Khaos Brigade, just let me be clear and say its creation was something that I firmly disagreed with due to the nature of its power.”

“So that’s why you want to intervene with another mythology.” Freyja deduced.

“Religion would be more accurate but that’s neither here nor there.” Adrien corrected.

“Very well… I will allow it but remember your affiliation with Asgard when you plan your next move.” Freyja sternly warned, letting her queenly nature show in mass.

Adrien simply bowed before he and Tasha departed, heading for the Bifrost so they could get to Midgard.

* * *

_Kuoh Town, Japan _

Kokabiel had shown his face, a one of the Cadre-class Fallen Angel, he was one of the strongest of the Fallen Angels and a major war maniac. One of the church affiliates, Irina Shidou was seriously injured in an ambush Kokabiel laid out pre-emptively.

“Ah, the Red-Haired Princess of the Gremory Family. The same crimson of the devil king Lucifer.” Kokabiel said, seemingly pleased to see Rias.

“So, you must be one of the leaders of the Fallen Angels. Kokabiel was it? It’s good to put a name to the face.” Rias replied, maintaining a professional stature befitting of someone related to one of the devil kings, “Any particular reason you showed yourself?”

“I thought you’d like to know that I plan on causing some damage, starting with your school. With the power that gathers there, it would be an excellent battleground.” The fallen angel answered.

“They say Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer Kokabiel.” A male voice stated.

When they revealed themselves, it was the same criminal who was a part of the infamous [Tyrant Massacre] 5 years ago. Alongside them was a young girl in her teens that Rias actually knew.

“Tasha, why are you with The Undefeated Dragon?” Rias asked, as if she had just been betrayed.

“Adrien’s my brother Rias and his infamy isn’t as simple as you think.” Tasha answered, staying close to her treasured brother, “He’s not even with the Khaos Brigade anymore.” The last detail Tasha mentioned left Rias in a state of confusion.

“So, The Monster reveals himself.” Kokabiel look of genuine surprise was something that was unexpected to most, but everyone was prepared for an all-out war if one of the most dangerous members of the Khaos Brigade was present, “Will you be gracing us with your true form like you did to the devils five years ago?”

“Depends on the gap.” Adrien said ominously, then he drew his sword and sent a large wave of black and red aura at Kokabiel, blasting the Fallen Angel back. “Not even close.”

“A pity… although I must say. It certainly seems… LIKE A GREAT DAY TO START A WAR! DOESN’T IT!” Kokabiel roared out with glee, unleashing a barrage of light spears on everyone present.

Rias, Sona and Tasha worked together to shield everyone else from the barrage while Kokabiel made his exit. “He’s starting at the school.” Tasha wept, knowing that a monster like Kokabiel would callously destroy his surrounding if it was a part of his urge to fight a war or face the Undefeated Dragon.

“So… Undefeated Dragon.” Rias started in a spiteful tone, “Are you going to interfere with the affairs of devils and fallen angels, or are you going to sit back and watch?”

Adrien looked at Tasha fretful face and his answer was clear, “Kokabiel made it personal, in doing so he’s made it **my business**.”

“Then we have a common enemy.” Rias noted.

“Don’t expect me to give you a free piggyback, I’m only interested in gutting Kokabiel.” Adrien coldly stated, walking away afterwards. Leaving a tense environment befitting of a confrontation between a Cadre-class Fallen Angel, an Undefeated Dragon and a Scarlet Princess of Ruin.


	5. Stigma of the Fallen Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien encounters his arch-nemesis just before going after Kokabiel. Will his head be in the right place by the time he arrives and will he be able to stop Kokabiel's attempt to start a war.

_Some distance off from Kuoh Academy_

Adrien would have been perfectly fine with disposing of Kokabiel however, a rather odd request drew his attention and it led to disaster. When Adrien saw who was there, he was left in shock. That man stood out in the open as carefree as could be despite being wanted by the devils for similar reasons to Adrien.

“It’s been a long time. O weak brother of mine who was defeated in a battle of ideals.” The man greeted, he spoke with a calm and elegant voice, like that of royalty all while keeping a composed bearing. He wore luxurious overcoat. Black hair, menacingly glaring gold eyes all while keeping a smug smirk on his face.

“Emmanuel” Adrien cursed, his eyes shrinking in bloodlust as he lunged for his brother, who calmly brought the flat side of his golden blade to block the attempted attack.

This man… who planned something akin to a Coup d’état against the Devils with Adrien and in some manner participated in it was also one of two blood relatives left in Adrien’s family and he was the one of betrayed Adrien five years ago.

Adrien’s arch-nemesis who was also his older brother was standing right before him. “Why… the fuck… are **you **here?” Adrien asked with a hate-filled tone.

“Just as I’d expect from someone who wields the True Ouroboros. You’ve definitely gotten stronger in these five years we’ve not seen each other.” Emmanuel commented, not even bothering to answer the question he was asked.

Emmanuel swung a roundhouse kick which Adrien sidestepped and tried to respond with a spin kick to the side of his foe’s face, but it was easily blocked.

“Sending Ernest after you was most certainly a poor mistake on my part. I’ll make sure not to underestimate you in the future.” Emmanuel commented.

“So, it was a test? Is this all some game to you…” Adrien rhetorically asked, “You… sick… fucking… freak!”

As Adrien tried to swing a different kick Emmanuel had in fact disappeared and reappeared behind him. “(Mind games? Huh?)” Adrien thought, trying to figure out his nemesis’ next move.

“As impressed as I am with your development. However, you are still someone with a failed ideal, meaning you are still far too weak to be worthy of the title of a King.” Emmanuel stated with disappointment, “It is something the current you cannot achieve.”

With that vague explanation, Emmanuel faded away into the darkness. Adrien was left with a torn expression, knowing that he couldn’t get the upper hand on his nemesis, “Bastard…” he cursed.

* * *

_Meanwhile, At Kuoh Academy_

“Did Adrien really no show the attempt on stopping the school his sister adores from being blown sky high?!” Issei asked in disbelief.

“We can’t rule out the possibility that your aid may have been intercepted by another party.” Xenovia pointed out, while contesting against Freed Selzen and his fused Excalibur, the fact that Xenovia could wield Durandal was the only thing preventing her from being slain outright.

It also didn’t help that Kokabiel was attacking them in their blind spots despite Rias and Akeno barraging him with attacks of their own, which seemed to barely scratch the Fallen Angel leader.

As much as Sona and her peerage wanted to help, it would likely not make much of a difference. “Damn, they’re getting pummelled. We someone with the power to even the odds otherwise our goose is cooked.” Saji cursed.

“We just have to have faith in Rias and whoever she asked for help. She didn’t even mention them to me.” Sona replied.

Things ended up taking a turn for worse. Despite Freed being cut down and Kiba’s Balance Breaker aiding in such effort. Kokabiel was still single-handedly dealing with the members of the Occult Research Club.

“Scream for me! Crimson Haired Princess!” Kokabiel violently demanded, blasting Rias with holy energy, causing her to scream in agony given her inherent weakness to it.

“Rias!” the members of her peerage cried out in great worry.

While Rias was barely conscious, she was far from able to move her body to try and get away from the monstrous Fallen Angel towering over her. Her peerage were beaten around as if they were mere fodder and against someone of Kokabiel’s power… they were.

“The first of many victims of a never-ending war.” Kokabiel declared, conjuring a sword made of dense holy energy. However, in a last, defiant act of courage, Rias used the rest of her power to fire a dense blast of her family’s signature Power of Destruction straight at Kokabiel’s face, but it did nothing more than leave Kokabiel with slight burns on his face and it provoked him into a fit of rage.

“You bitch!” Kokabiel cursed, heavily bringing down his light sword only for it to be caught by Adrien, who arrived at the last possible second. His hand was slightly burnt by the holy light, but the pain wasn’t an issue to Adrien.

“Took ya long enough to get here. What was you doing? Helping the old lady cross the road?” Issei jested, despite the predicament they was in.

“Sorry I was late. But now that I’m here, this will come to an end… **By My Hands**.” Adrien declared, throwing the light sword off into the air with ease. He took a glance at Rias before asking a question of his own.

“I’m aware you have an artificial Sacred Gear in your possession. Have you invoked it?”

“Uh… No… I’d prefer to rely on my own talents if anything. But if there comes a time where the world is on the verge of ending, I would rely on it then.” Rias answered.

“That’s good to know. Seems like devil pride has its perks.” Adrien commented, his main concern out of the way.

“Oh Yes. Enlighten us with the true fury of the Undefeated Dragon.” Kokabiel demanded, filled with excitement at the chance of fighting such a dangerous foe.

Adrien simply drew his serrated blade and aimed it at the sky while reciting an incantation, “[Return from the Tower of the Double Helix. Revert all of Existence to Zero and establish the Laws of the Creation of Heaven and Earth. Awaken, Ouroboros!]”

Once more a blazing crimson aura coated Adrien and the infamous black dragon of royalty emerged from it. Simultaneously, the part of the sky turned to crimson, the same crimson that was the same as Rias Gremory’s hair.

“Yes! Yes! YES!” Kokabiel roared in excitement, summoning two dense light swords and charged, Adrien clashed, cause an immense amount of power to be given off from it.

“He giving off a crazy amount of power!” Issei said in awe.

“[Indeed, his Sacred Gear is generations ahead of any of the current Sacred Gears out there.]” Ddraig commented, “[His skills is also noteworthy, I ponder how’d he fair against the top wielders of the Boosted Gear.]”

* * *

_Some distance away…_

Tasha was watching the fight unfold with a look of concern, albeit the only things she could see was the crimson sky and sparks flying, no doubt from the clash between Kokabiel and her brother.

“So, you’ve finally come around, huh, Big Bro?” Tasha asked to no one in particular.

* * *

Meanwhile, Adrien was using fast and precise movements to maintain the advantage against his foe. Even when Kokabiel unleashed a flurry of light spears, Adrien easily made quick movements to evade them before diving down in pursuit of the Fallen Angel leader.

“AHAHAHA! This is what I’ve wanted!” Kokabiel cheered, instead opting for a larger broadsword made of light as he furiously clashed with Adrien.

The entire time Adrien was silent, simply focused on defeating the Fallen Angel before him.

Tasha in the distance began reciting the general description of the Tyrant Massacre. “In the coup d’état known as the [Tyrant Massacre] five years ago, out of the thousands of devils in the effort… Only one Sacred Gear User was all it took to drive them to near extinction.”

“If only you joined with me, the Great War would be in full swing and I would get to see the monstrous power that made you a legend.” Kokabiel said, with some sense of disappointment only for it to turn to mania, “But your decision means… YOU DIE HERE!”

Kokabiel made a mad dash for Adrien, however all he had to do to counter was say two words…

“[Heavy Caliber]”

A never-before-seen red magic circle appeared behind Adrien, simply flashing before fading away and just as Kokabiel brought his chosen weapon down to try to cut the Undefeated Dragon down. Adrien vanished, but there was a loud clash of blades and Adrien reappeared behind Kokabiel, who dropped to the ground with a massive cut across his chest that was profusely bleeding.

The sky soon went from crimson to a magnificent gold, something that while Rias, Sona and their respective peerages couldn’t help but look in awe at it, they also felt reassured. It was at the point that Tasha who had seen the whole thing happen in the distance monologued a little regarding her brother.

“My Big Brother isn’t the hero… Far from it.” She started, “He’s the Undefeated Dragon known as Ouroboros.”


	6. A Day filled with Curiosity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is granted time off to better know his peers and relax in the countryside, but old memories resurfaced earning its fair share of intrigue in his peers.
> 
> Here is the End of Arc 1- Second Chances

** Chapter 5- A Day filled with Curiosity **

With Kuoh safe and sound, Tasha had gone back to school with a cheerful on her face, but Adrien was rather concerned about the political matters regarding the fact that Asgard had in some people’s eyes, stuck their nose in someone else’s business. So, he had opted to check in with Freyja first before doing anything else.

“Don’t fret about the political concerns. Besides, at least you told me in advance. Did you sort out the crisis you mentioned?” Freyja asked with a smile.

“Yeah, turns out devils are prideful enough that I have something to work with.” Adrien noted.

“Your welcome to spend time off by the way. I’m certain there are those few that yearn to get to know you more. Especially a certain bodyguard of Odin.” Freyja teased with a coy smile, earning a shocked look from a blushing Adrien, “You haven’t noticed that Rossweisse has been looking at you with intrigue since you first came here She’s just a bit nervous about approaching such matters as most of her social life was replaced with studying.”

“(So, she must be quite lonely then.)” Adrien thought, as someone who felt lonely quite easily, he could somewhat reciprocate Rossweisse’s feelings. “I’ll graciously accept the opportunity to rest and recuperate for the days ahead.” Adrien then said in an overly polite tone.

“You aren’t just fancy titles and job roles you know. You are a human being.” Freyja mentioned.

“It’s just how I was raised is all.” Adrien said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

“Don’t forget that behind the moniker of being my personal guard. You are still a person.” Freyja advised, leaving Adrien to go and take time to relax.

* * *

_In the countryside_

Thrúd had managed to catch up with Adrien and she suggested that they find Rossweisse and spend time taking in the mesmerizing scenery that was the countryside in Asgard. Rossweisse was her grey suit that she wore when working for Odin, with Thrúd wearing a blue shirt and a pair of jeans.

“It does feel nice every once in a while to be able to see the countryside along with the beautiful weather.” Rossweisse commented, while maintaining her serious tone.

“Yeah, it certainly does.” Thrúd commented with a coy smile, “Especially with a guy.”

This caused Rossweisse to blush and stutter, “T-Thrúd! We are colleagues working for the Allfather and Lady Freyja. Such a relationship would be improper.”

“Nothing proper about the Allfather’s behaviour most of the time. No reason not to follow suit. Besides, I’ve seen you looking at Adrien with curiosity, if anything you should try to learn some more about him.” Thrúd encouraged, Rossweisse’s only response was uncontrolled stammering, “In fact, seeing as the weather is so nice, I should go for a run. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”

With that Thrúd went for a jog in the distance leaving Rossweisse with a sleeping Adrien. “I suppose if I got a bit closer to him it couldn’t do any harm.” Rossweisse surmised, slowly making her way to Adrien, being careful not to wake him up she then propped Adrien up long enough to sit beside him and lie him down on her lap. The feeling was something new but then she took note of his black hair, would he mind if she touched it? Even if it was just once, surely he wouldn’t be opposed to it, just as Rossweisse was fond of Adrien’s company, he was fond of hers.

Rossweisse placed a gentle hand on his head, his black hair darker than a starless sky yet it was softer than any kind of silk that Asgard could provide. Rossweisse couldn’t help but stroke his hair gently as he slept with a content smile on his face. While the Valkyrie that was known for not having a boyfriend didn’t really understand how to conduct herself around men, she felt that this was a perfect scenario if you will. Her and someone she was growing fond of together on a nice day out in the countryside.

While that was happening Thrúd was on her way back from her run when she noticed Rossweisse doing something that she never expected her to do. She had Adrien’s head on her lap and was perfectly fine with just stroking his hair seemingly without care.

“(When I said she was welcome to get closer to him, I didn’t think this was what she had in mind.)” Thrúd said to herself with a look of surprise, but she couldn’t have dared wanted to interfere, this scene of a Valkyrie nurturing someone that was deemed a hero in the eyes of Asgard was just far too perfect to want to break up but then she pondered how much she could tease the two alongside Kara and figured it couldn’t hurt interrupt them.

“To think that a Valkyrie known for not having a boyfriend would have an infamous hero in her lap.” Thrúd said.

“I-I-I-It I-Isn’t what it l-l-looks l-like.” Rossweisse stuttered as her face turned red. Not only had she been spotted in what she found to be an embarrassing scenario, but she couldn’t move lest she possibly wake Adrien up.

“I’m sure it isn’t.” Thrúd said sarcastically, “After all, it isn’t every day that you have a hero using your lap as a pillow, is it?” Thrúd even went as far as to send a suggestive look in Rossweisse’s direction, leaving the silver-haired Valkyrie stuttering as the daughter of Thor left the scene, clearly not going to forget the interaction.

In the midst of this, there was something Rossweisse was curious about for some unknown reason… what was Adrien dreaming about.

* * *

_Months before the [Tyrant Massacre]_

_In a closed off room with only candle lit lanterns being the only source of light. Emmanuel, Adrien’s older brother as well as a teen Adrien both wearing hooded clothing were stood at a table littered with maps and various important documents detailing intel of those residing in the Underworld. _

“The sudden decline in humanity as a result of experiments by members of the three Biblical Factions, the devils and the church in particular is growing problematic. Eventually, that could include Tasha as well.” Emmanuel, Adrien’s older brother stated, “Not to mention, the devils have been getting closer and closer to us, like we’re being stuck in a cage. At this rate we’ll have to resort to slaughtering all of them.”

“Brother… Even if our circumstances are dire… I would like… to minimize casualties.” A teen Adrien said with a look of concern. His brother didn’t speak but instead responded with a smile.

* * *

“Just a dream.” Adrien mumbled as he woke up, however he couldn’t help but notice that in comparison to when he first dozed off, his head was on a slightly higher elevation, but what caused that?

“EH? Rossweisse?” Adrien wondered in shock as his face turned red, realising that he was indeed using Rossweisse’s lap as a pillow.

“I-I-It isn’t what you think!” Rossweisse spluttered out with a gigantic blush across her face, “You’ve obviously earned some time to rest… I… was just m-making sure you’re as comfortable as possible.”

“Um… I appreciate the gesture.” Adrien said awkwardly, “It feels… more… relaxing like this. It helped me sleep.” 

“That’s good, although if you don’t mind. What was your dream about?” Rossweisse wondered, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“It was a month or so before the [Tyrant Massacre]… in the planning stage, things started to grow dire, but I still wanted to not have to kill devils as much as possible.” Adrien explained.

“So even though you was involved in such a disaster, you still wanted to control the casualties.” Rossweisse stated, finding herself somewhat perplexed but she could at least tell that Adrien wasn’t an inherently bad person, “You know, Freyja implied that behind your infamy is a kind person… I think that she was right, considering the risks involved with a member of Asgard interfering in other mythologies or religious factions, you still helped your younger sister, even if you had to work with those you hate.”

“To tell you the truth, a large part of me wanted to just ignore the whole ordeal just to spite the devils housed there.” Adrien admitted, “However, Kokabiel was asking for a beating. So, I gave him one… Not to sound like a pain… but could I stay like this for a bit longer?”

“Um… If… that is what you would like… I suppose there is no harm in it.” Rossweisse answered nervously, but despite those nervous feelings, she was happy to be with Adrien, despite the majority of this man’s past being hidden by the mysterious happening that was the [Tyrant Massacre] beneath all the dark emotions was a gentle soul that wanted to protect those close to them.


	7. Devilish Uproar and a Queen’s Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the resurgence of the Undefeated Dragon at the forefront of Devil Politics. Two of the Four Devil Kings lay down an ultimatum all while recalling scars of the past. Whereas in Asgard, things seem to be getting better than expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about a rather abrupt Hiatus (Writer's Block has always been the Bane of my existence so for me to overcome it for once is a miracle). But now I should be able to get back into the rhythm of things and continue to produce chapters that I hope people enjoy (The more the merrier).
> 
> Here is the start of Arc 2- Otherworldly Alliances.

_Lilith, Underworld_

Devil society was in an absolute uproar, with the emergence of a wanted felon after five years of hiding as well as rumors that Asgard had also stuck its nose where it wasn’t necessary. The political concerns of such events transpiring were at the forefront of what both Serafall Leviathan and Sirzechs Lucifer would have to address, due to both of their younger siblings being at the forefront of the events surrounding Kokabiel’s attack on Kuoh Academy.

“This will no doubt be a pain.” Sirzechs noted, checking over his formal attire in preparation for addressing the politicians awaiting them.

“Last we checked, the Undefeated Dragon had separated from the Khaos Brigade and even attempted to shut them down, doesn’t that mean anything?” Serafall questioned, she too was dressed in formal attire prepared for addressing the concerns of the masses, but she was still rather flustered that they would have to go through with this, but it had to be done, otherwise the civil unrest could cause massive problems for Devils, which already had things rough as is.

“I understand your concerns.” Sirzechs commented. Sirzechs then faintly traced a diagonal line on his clothed chest, tracing a scar he had received five years before and a nasty one at that.

* * *

_Gremory Household, Underworld (5 years ago)_

_Upon the [Tyrant Massacre] commencing, Sirzechs immediately raced to the Gremory territory after hearing that’s where the attack was hitting the hardest. Upon coming up to the Gremory family’s home, which was heavily damaged with large parts of the household completely levelled in the midst of all the fighting. _

_He entered the house and searched every possible room for Rias and his parents, hoping the worst hadn’t befell them, only to be intercepted by a person who was likely one of the people who initiated the attack._

_A luxurious overcoat, hair as black as night, fiercely glaring gold eyes and a malicious grin. “I didn’t think I’d get to face the Embodiment of Destruction so suddenly.” The attacker stated. _

_“If you truly intend on damaging the Underworld, then it falls to me to stop you.” Sirzechs announced, summoning several orbs of highly dense [Power of Destruction] magic. His foe responded by drawing his sword and pointing it to the sky as a golden aura covered which then turned into a black and gold dragon of royalty. _

_The two fighters glared at one another and Sirzechs unleashed all of his [Power of Destruction] as a devastating barrage, however it didn’t even seem to damage the armor, let alone the person underneath it. “What?” Sirzechs said in shock, only to be left with a massive cut going diagonally from his left pectoral to right hip, what was worse was that there appeared to have been some sort of holy element to the attack as Sirzechs was left in great agony as a result. With that, the attacker left Sirzechs to his fate, had Grayfia, his wife and queen of his peerage and his bishop, Macgregor Mathers not made it to him in time, he would likely have died from the devastating injury._

* * *

_Present Day_

“(I don’t intend on letting the Khaos Brigade get the upper hand anymore. It’s time to act as a cohesive group, or we’ll die separated.)” Sirzechs vowed to himself as he went to address fellow devil politicians, Serafall following behind him.

Sat a massive, rectangular table was many political representatives from the household still intact after the Tyrant Massacre, all the men and women gathered were fuming at the events that had transpired just moments before.

“I’m guessing your already aware of what we’re here to discuss.” Sirzechs stated.

“We have the prime opportunity to deal with one of the leading participants in the [Tyrant Massacre] what reason do we have to hesitate?” a representative of the Bael family asked, “We should act now while we have the chance.”

“We don’t have the manpower to pull off something like that. Are you forgetting how much was lost 5 years ago? Let’s not forget, Devil families that were already crippled because of the Great War went extinct because of the [Tyrant Massacre]. We’re literally setting ourselves up for failure here.”

“What if all Four Devil Kings united to do so?” another representative of the one of the remaining 72 Pillars suggested.

“Wouldn’t work.” Sirzechs stated, “It would take too long to come up with a plan that would guarantee success and those affiliated with the massacre 5 years ago could evade our eyes for many times longer than those years they’ve been hidden.”

“Let’s not forget, we’d be in perpetual war with the Angels and Fallen Angels if not for the Undefeated Dragon’s intervention.” Serafall pointed out, “I’m not saying immediately forgive and forget, but he at least deserves a second chance.”

“What are we going to do about the fact that if rumors are to be believed, the Undefeated Dragon is now affiliated with Asgard. Surely, we can’t trust them, what’s to say he won’t use them to finish off the [Tyrant Massacre]”

“If his affiliation with Asgard is true, As thanks for their aid in dealing with Kokabiel. I fully intend on inviting them to the treaty along with the Angels and Fallen Angels. If you have any objections, speak them now.” Sirzechs answered with an intense and firm voice, silencing all present, “If there are no objections, we are dismissed.”

Later on, Sirzechs and Serafall could be seen relaxing, thankful that the talks went the way they did and ended quickly thanks to Sirzechs putting his foot down. “That could’ve gone worse.” Serafall said with a relieved sigh.

“I suppose… it certainly could have.” Sirzechs said in response, sighing in the exact same manner.

* * *

_Sometime later in Asgard_

Adrien had just finished organising a series of letters that Freyja had received however, any current work was immediately halted when Freyja caught a particular letter from one of the Three Great Powers.

Freyja had scanned over the letter and found a particular part of the letter that left her with a beaming smile and cheerful expression that could melt your heart.

“If what we’ve heard is led to be believed, the Undefeated Dragon dealt with Kokabiel on Asgard’s behalf. It is a gesture we appreciate and as thanks, we felt it necessary that Asgard be invited to the Peace Talks, so we can secure an even safer environment for not only Devils, Angels and Fallen Angels but also those of the Norse Pantheon.” Freyja recited aloud, not believing what she was reading for a moment, “Kind Regards, Sirzechs Lucifer.”

It was at this point Freyja practically exploded with kindness, “You’re such a great person!” she cheered suddenly grabbing an unsuspecting Adrien and pulling him into her well-endowed chest.

“What are you doing?!” Adrien asked while blushing profusely.

“You’ve allowed the dream I’ve been devoting my entire life to a chance to become reality.” Freyja said, even stroking the back of her treasured personal guard’s head, further enhancing the blush on his face, “I’ve always wanted to be able to create a unified group that will repel those that would threaten the world, and you’ve allowed it to take shape.”

“Could you… let go now?” Adrien mumbled, too embarrassed to speak any louder.

“I suppose I could let my precious guard go for the time being.” Freyja said with a gentle smile, releasing the young man from her embrace.

“Will we be making plans to travel to Midgard then?” Adrien asked.

“Yes, as soon as you’re ready, we’ll head there to meet with the leaders of the other factions. I have already informed Thrúd and Rossweisse of the venture.” Freyja answered.

“Is the Allfather not tending to the negotiations?” Adrien wondered; his response was a rather menacing look from Freyja.

“The lecherous old fool will be represented by Rossweisse.” Freyja stated, with a lack of fondness towards Odin, something Adrien decided not to explore despite the fact he recalled her referring to Odin as an ‘old fool’ on multiple occasions

“(I’ll get to see the very school my sister enjoys so much.)” Adrien said to himself with a smile.


	8. Open House to hide the Shadowy Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Open House is just around the corner and with comes the reveal that an old enemy of Adrien's is on the loose once again. Knowing that he only ended the last fight in a stalemate, Adrien realises that should his infamous foe reveal himself at the Summit that things could spiral out of control.

_Kuoh Town, Japan_

It was just a regular morning for Tasha, one where she would wake up, wash herself, sort her hair out, get dressed, have a quick snack and then be on her way to school, however when she looked out of the window.

Her house was located next door to the Hyoudou, Issei and his families had been a great help with the process of her moving in next door to them. It was just a simple two bedroom apartment, nothing too fancy. However, when she took note of the house’s new appearance, she immediately grabbed her phone to call someone.

Just down the road…

“Hello?” Adrien asked as he answered the phone.

Adrien was wearing a black shirt with the collar folded, a dark red jacket and gray pants, with plain black shoes. It would at least suffice as an alternate attire for when he wasn’t working.

“Can someone explain to me why my house has been ENTIRELY reworked?!” Tasha shouted at quite a loud volume.

“Good grief.” Adrien cursed, after letting out a sigh he then said, “Just stay calm, go about your morning routine and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“A complication?” Freyja asked, only receiving a disgruntled groan as her personal guard starting jogging towards Tasha’s residence.

* * *

_A few minutes later…_

Adrien came across Tasha’s home with Tasha standing outside it and it was no longer a two bedroom apartment but rather something akin to a watchtower, with Tasha’s room being near the top. “Did Azazel intentionally do this without telling you?” Adrien pondered.

Tasha was wearing the uniform was Kuoh Academy, which consisted of a white long-sleeved, button-down shirt with vertical linings, a black ribbon at the collar, a black shoulder cape with a matching button down corset, and a magenta skirt with white accents which at first was almost suspiciously short but Tasha had the skirt extended so it would stop modestly above her knees.

“To be fair, it doesn’t look half bad.” Thrúd commented.

“Sorry about the lack of information Tasha, you know how busy all the factions are with the upcoming Peace Treaty.” Azazel apologetically replied as he arrived; he only got a rather menacing glare from a usually rather passive Tasha, after a sigh he spoke up, “Michael suggested it. He knows of the worries you have and decided having you and Adrien on the same team would be beneficial to keeping the peace so many died for.”

“If the Archangel Michael suggested it, then… who am I to argue.” Was Tasha’s only response.

“It will take time to get used to but try to forgive the sudden change.” Azazel requested, earning a gentler expression from Tasha.

“If we’re all going to be couped up with Tasha, would it not be wise for me and Rossweisse to watch over and get a feel for the place?” Thrúd pointed out.

“If it is okay with Tasha then I don’t see a reason why not.” Adrien stated.

“Um… just promise to keep the place tidy.” Tasha quickly answered before starting to travel to Kuoh with Adrien in tow.

* * *

Later on, Tasha was taking a professional tone similar to that of Rossweisse while conversing with her brother. “I trust you have been careful regarding your criminal status. If Asgard had known about the extent of damage you had caused, they would have executed you on sight. While you are gifted, there are next to no circumstances where you can afford to freely invoke the full power of your Sacred Gear and you’re barely in the condition to do that in the first place. If possible, I’d prefer if the Peace Treaty went by smoothly so then you can stay quiet” Tasha stated in a long statement.

“That’s why I’ve been looking for a different variety of exploits so that I can use the full power of [Ouroboros] in a safer way than just deactivating the safety measures on it.” Adrien replied.

“Also, allow me to give you one more warning.” Tasha started firmly, “The ‘Lord of the Land’ that was imprisoned after being suspected of being involved in the Tyrant Massacre has reportedly escaped and affiliated themselves with the Khaos Brigade.”

“That’s a problem.” Adrien cursed.

* * *

_3 years ago_

Adrien and the man known as ‘Lord of the Land’ for the massive amount of territory in his families possession somewhere in Europe had clashed once before. Ouroboros vs. a ‘Abnormal Gear’ that not even an expert like Adrien knew of. The two had fought for many hours on end and due to the unpredictability of both Abnormal Gears, which were notorious for that very unpredictability.

Adrien and the man known as ‘Lord of the Land’ were covered in minor cuts and nearly all of their body’s were covered in bruises afterwards but there was never a clear winner. Something which, to this day, troubled the man known as ‘The Undefeated Dragon’.

* * *

Present Day

“We’ll have a huge problem on our hands if he shows up at the Summit, especially if he’s backed by the Khaos Brigade, there’s no end to the damage he could do.” Adrien noted.

“Please act with caution. I’m perfectly okay with you getting infatuated with women in Asgard, but don’t let it get you killed.” Tasha warned.

“What?” Adrien asked in confusion, he wouldn’t say he was oblivious to women developing feelings for him, it was more he didn’t want to acknowledge them because he didn’t know how to respond.

“When you are with Rossweisse, I noticed a couple of times that you were looking at her in a somewhat lecherous manner.” Tasha stated, with a slightly scalding tone to her voice.

“Ah! I…” Adrien stammered with a beat red face.

“Just don’t become a full-fledged pervert like Issei Hyoudou, as your younger sibling, I’d be greatly ashamed of knowing my older brother is a pervert.” Tasha warned sternly.

“I’m sorry.” Adrien could only say, greatly ashamed of himself.

“Your apology is accepted, just remember that you represent one of the factions at the negotiation table and I am only willing to overlook your behaviour this one time.” Tasha replied.

“Can I ask how you know Rias?” Adrien requested.

“She helped me get settled in at Kuoh Academy when I first joined. So she’s been a friend since then.” Tasha explained.

* * *

_Later on…_

Some sort of situation developed within the gymnasium. While Tasha was giving Adrien a tour of the academy, she came across Rias in the gymnasium with her peerage and a lot of other people, including members of the Student Council.

The one thing that caught Tasha’s eye was the woman wearing a pink, midriff-baring sleeveless pink top and a matching hat. Along with fingerless gloves and scattered stripes along her arms, she had a pink skirt that was somehow shorter than the default skirts of the Kuoh Academy uniform (which were already almost suspiciously short) and thigh high stockings. To go with the costume was a pink scepter adorned with a star surrounded by a heart.

“Ah, Tasha, good to see you.” Rias greeted despite the awkward situation in front of them.

“Please tell me that isn’t…” Tasha started.

“If you mean Lady Serafall Leviathan of the Four Devil Kings. Yes, that is her.” Akeno finished.

Adrien was thinking (perhaps too much) about why on earth one of the devils ranked at the highest part of devil society was in a costume and not a professional suit like you would expect of someone with that kind of status. Sadly, he could never find an answer.

“I’ll protect you Sona!” Serafall cried out, chasing after Sona Sitri who seemed rather flustered by her sister’s appearance.

“Don’t bother!” Sona replied.

Once Serafall took notice of Adrien, she rushed over to him and began staring straight into his eyes, blue eyes bearing into grey eyes.

“Do I know you from somewhere?” Serafall asked with a stern tone hidden beneath her cheery disposition.

“No… you have the wrong person.” Adrien answered, carefully picking his words.

After a stern look from Serafall, she seemed satisfied with the response and went to talk to Rias. Adrien turned to Sona and simply asked.

“Anywhere nearby I can get a drink?” Adrien asked.

“Follow me, I’m also in need of one after that exchange.” Sona answered with a sigh. The two walked off to go grab themselves and while doing so, Sona had a prime opportunity to ask a question on her mind.

“There’s actually been something I’ve been wanting to ask as of late.” Sona admitted, “What do you know of ‘The Destroyer’?”

With it just being the two of them there, it created a very tense environment. Adrien was slow to answer but he eventually responded with, “You realise how dangerous it is asking that… Don’t you?” Adrien asked, with a rather concerned expression on his face.

“Still, It’s something I’ve been looking into.” Sona stated, not giving in. “5 years ago, A singular entity who was considered an absolute unbeatable myth claimed the lives of at least 1000 devils if not more. Any details on it remain a complete mystery to this day. No one can afford to let it hide any longer.”

“Those who search for those answers end up disappearing without a trace. You realise what that means don’t you?” Adrien questioned again with a stern expression.

“I do. But raw strength isn’t the deciding factor in every battle, it can come down to a person’s intellect and what they do with it.” Sona stated, “Tyrannical Black and Bloody Crimson… those are the colors that the beast wore… not too far from your Ouroboros’ Balance Breaker.”

Adrien replied with, “Ouroboros is far from unbeatable. It’s specialised in offense while also maintaining a suitable defense simultaneously. Any claim you have to me supposedly being The Destroyer lacks sufficient evidence.”

“Does it? You were involved in the incident 5 years ago were you not?” Sona continued her questioning without reprieve.

“Despite what my combat prowess may say, I was merely a thinker… not a fighter. Simply a tactician organising what little we had to send the message that mankind wouldn’t be whipped any longer by those who thought themselves better.” Adrien explained.

“Then it’s no wonder the [Tyrant Massacre] had such a mass amount of fatalities so suddenly.” Sona commented. It was at this point that Serafall had been practically dragging Tasha with her to find Sona, much to her chagrin.

“I suppose we’ll have to leave it there.” Sona said, knowing the problems with her overly chipper sister weren’t about to end anytime soon, “I’ll have to grow some sort of resistance to her doting on me all the time.”

“Welcome to my world.” Adrien said with a groan, thinking back to when Freyja doted on him despite not knowing much about him.

“Seems we share something in common.” Sona said as she walked away. “(It appears I’ve almost figured it out… The Destroyer… who could harbour enough power to do THAT much damage?)”


	9. Sands Of Time Running Low

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Peace Summit draws closer while Adrien is given a chance opportunity to reflect on his past failures. In the meantime, Azazel invests in aiding develop Gasper Vladi's power to stop time in as safe a way as possible.

** Chapter 8- Sands Of Time Running Low **

Issei, Koneko, Asia along with Genshirou Saji, one of the members of the Student Council were trying to train Gasper Vladi, a cross-dressing half-vampire who was Rias’ other bishop that had been sealed away until recently on how to master his Sacred Gear, which seemed to consistently stop time and the power itself was out of control.

However, an odd acquaintance revealed themselves. “So, this is where all the devils come out to play.” The odd acquaintance said.

To Issei at least, this man with black hair, golden bangs and a goatee wearing a brown kimono was familiar.

“Hi Azazel.” Issei said, clearly not pleased to see the Governor General of the Fallen Angels.

“Don’t tell me all the households of the Devil Kings have come out to play because that would be too sweet.” A familiar sounding voice said, revealing itself to be the Governor General of the Fallen Angels, Azazel, alongside him being the Undefeated Dragon, Adrien.

Almost immediately everyone got ready to fight, Asia staying behind Issei as she had no means to use offensive magic. “Don’t even bother, in case you’ve forgotten, we’re trying to negotiate peace and if you plan on stomping that into the ground. You’ll answer to me.” Adrien stated firmly

“Isn’t that the guy who defeated Kokabiel?” Saji asked, summoning his Sacred Gear.

“It seems like you’ve forgotten that Adrien can disable Sacred Gears with his own. Even if you all attacked simultaneously. You wouldn’t last long against one of two strongest humans in history.”

“Seriously? One of the strongest humans in history.” Saji asked in disbelief.

“Which would mean that he wasn’t even trying against Kokabiel, was he?” Issei pondered.

“Exactly.” Adrien replied shortly after.

“Is the Holy Devil Sword guy around?” Azazel asked.

“No, he isn’t here. Word to the wise, you should leave him the hell alone.” Issei threatened, the [Boost] ability of his Sacred Gear echoing into existence.

“Always the feisty one.” Azazel replied, not fazed by the threat, “No Holy-Devil sword guy huh? Boring. Hey, Adorable Vampire!”

“Huh?” Gasper revealed himself from behind a tree.

“Forbidden Balor View eh? This type of Sacred Gear can wind up extremely dangerous if the user’s capacity is too low.” Azazel stated, looking at Gasper. He then turned his head to Saji, “You must have Absorption Line.”

Adrien surprisingly stepped forward, “Your Sacred Gear manifests a fragment of the Prison Dragon King, Vritra’s power. Its technique based, so try to acquire all the Vritra-type Sacred Gears. Your one in particular can siphon the half-vampire’s power, which will allow him to safely control his power to some extent.”

“Wow, this thing is cooler than I gave it credit for.” Saji said, impressed with his Sacred Gear abilities.

“Although there is another way, you could have him drink the Red Dragon Emperor’s blood.” Azazel suggested, leaving Issei with a scowl on his face at thought of having someone drink his blood.

After the rest of Gasper’s training ended in him hiding away in the Occult Research Club. Adrien chose of his own free will, to talk to the young half-vampire. At the moment, Gasper was crying about the fact people just ‘freeze in front of him without him being able to help it.’

“Your name’s Gasper, right?” Adrien asked, “It’s me, Adrien. I just want to talk, nothing more.”

“Okay…” Gasper shyly replied.

After Gasper had made his way closer to the door of the room that he’d been confined in for so long he asked, “What did you want to talk about?”

“You’re a half-breed Vampire if I recall, which is why you are able to house a Sacred Gear.” Adrien mentioned, “I have a Sacred Gear as well, albeit an artificial one. But there is one thing that stands out with people like you, me and even Issei.”

“What’s that?” Gasper asked, opening the door slightly to better here what the Undefeated Dragon had to say.

“This isn’t something you’ll like but those with Sacred Gears tend to be put through hell all their life.” Adrien solemnly stated, “I would know. Even though I haven’t got an organic Sacred Gear… at least… not anymore.”

“You used to have one? I thought removing a Sacred Gear killed the user?” Gasper asked, surprised.

“I did have one of the Vritra-type Sacred Gears, specifically [Delete Field] but my body for some strange reason rejected the Sacred Gear, leaving me more-or-less bedridden constantly. With what I believe was intervention from the Grigori, I managed to have the Sacred Gear removed safely and it was sealed elsewhere to keep it safe, but I have its location.” Adrien explained, “What I’m telling you is best kept secret, besides the fact a Sacred Gear I was born with rejected me entirely is a bit of a sore spot. The next bit not even Azazel knows, and I trust him the most.”

* * *

_7 years ago…_

_Through most of my life I was a sickly and pale boy stuck in hospital most days, even at birth, doctors looked into what caused it, but they didn’t know, of course that’s because they didn’t know about the supernatural and Sacred Gears. A third party took notice and were apparently experts with this kind of sickness, so he ended up developing a means to remove my Sacred Gear upon finding out that’s what caused my sickness. _

_After the Sacred Gear was removed, my half-brother approached me after finding a means to create abnormally powerful Sacred Gears, without any pacts or anything. The first two we created were my brother’s Sacred Gear (which I know nothing about) and my own ‘Ouroboros’._

_However, I failed to realise my half-brother real plan with those Sacred Gears, which we dubbed ‘Abnormal Gears’, my brother wanted to find someone to rule all worlds as ‘The King of Reclamation’ and it was a goal he was completely obsessed with for reasons unknown._

* * *

“Despite my own efforts. I’m nowhere near strong enough to stand on an even footing with him.” Adrien said solemnly, “Although, my brother seems more interested in testing my resolve than actually facing me.”

“Do you think there’s a particular reason he wants to see your resolve?” Gasper wondered.

“Can’t say for sure. Perhaps I’m a candidate for this ruler he speaks of. Don’t really know much else.” Adrien said with a shrug.

“In the meantime, what do we do about our powers? We’ve been hated in our own ways because of them.” Gasper wondered, concerned about his future as a devil.

“I wish I had an easy answer Gasper. But we just have to keep contesting with fate and hope for a good result afterwards.” Adrien answered, “I’d best get going, I’ll probably have something to take care of on my side.” With that Adrien walked away, while Gasper thought about trying to strengthen his resolve in some way so he wouldn’t be a burden to Rias.

** End of Chapter 8 **


	10. Unlocking a Shrine to the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Issei and Adrien head to a Shinto Shrine in order to prepare for the upcoming Peace SUmmit, details of Akeno's heritage are revealed as is news of Adrien's role in the summit being specified.

Adrien and Issei were heading towards a sacred Shinto Shrine to meet with some people regarding the Summit that was rapidly approaching. However, Issei couldn’t help but have bad vibes as he got closer and closer.

“Nervous?” Adrien asked.

“Kinda.” Issei answered, “the President said that Devils should avoid these kind of places as much as possible. At least you don’t have that problem.”

“We all have our own burdens to deal with.” Adrien stated.

“Issei, Adrien, thank you for coming.”

Awaiting them ahead was Akeno, who was dressed in a white and red shrine maiden’s robe that clung to her frame and complimented her figure. The two men waved at the approach but were confused regardless.

“I trust it wasn’t too much trouble.” Akeno said with a signature smile.

“None at all.” The Asgard representative assured her. “I don’t recall there being any information stating you were to be attending this meeting.”

“I’m not actually a part of the meeting, I just helped make an agreement so that devils could safely enter the shrine, as well as assisting with extra business for the meeting.” Akeno clarified.

“So do you live here then?” Issei spoke up, escaping his apparent hypnosis thanks to Akeno in her shrine-maiden robe.

“I do, the last priest passed away some time before I was born. It was condemned until Rias acquired it. Considering my… family status, she felt it was a good place for me when not in her service.” Was Akeno’s answer, her voice wavered upon mentioning her family.

“After this meeting, I’ll leave you with Akeno. Sounds like something I have no business in being a part of.” Adrien muttered to Issei.

“Ah, Red Dragon Emperor, Undefeated Dragon. It is a pleasure to meet you both.”

Someone new had emerged from the shrine; he appeared as a young man with long, blonde hair. He was wrapped in a white robe adorned with ornate, metal pauldrons on each shoulder as if he were part priest and warrior. Issei and Adrien had to shield their eyes slightly at the light emanating from him and his six pairs of golden angelic wings. Adrien in the back of his mind compared it to the light of Alfheim, if what residents of Asgard was saying was true. The halo hovering over this young man’s head made it more obvious who it was as he approached to shake their hands warmly.

“Mr. Freeman, Mr. Hyoudou, thank you both for coming this day. I am Michael, highest among the Archangels of Heaven. I have had no ties with Asgard in ages long gone, though I am pleased with your intervention regardless as well as our other guest that arrived just a few moments before you did.”

Issei and Adrien sat politely as the two deliberation; Heaven was the last to come to the table due to tensions from Hell as well as between them and Asgard for the debatable intervention that was relatively unannounced. Although Asgard had its own problems, with the disappearance of one of Asgard’s legendary blades, Gram. The same blade that was used by the original Siegfried in his age-old fight against the Dragon King Fafnir, although the Dragon King was later revived.

“She’s… so…” Issei muttered towards Lady Freyja, his lingering much lower than her own. “You work for her?”

“I’m her personal escort, so you’d be incentivised to behave in her presence.” Adrien whispered back out of the corner of his mouth with a veiled threat.

“Thank goodness,” Michael smiled towards the goddess. “I was truly hopeful that the unsavoury rift between us wouldn’t remain. Are we clear to move forward?”

“Certainly,” she nodded politely, “Asgard would gladly be a neutral party for your Peace Summit, to guarantee all deals made are done with the utmost fairness without any form of coercion or threats. I will stand at the meeting personally on the morrow.”

“I must credit those who serve closest to you, they have quite the expertise at making sure to coordinate our efforts as well as guaranteeing with have the time for all parties involved. Our own could hardly keep up.” Michael stated as both he and Freyja stood up, Issei and Adrien following suit without any instructions of any sort.

“That is our Rossweisse,” Freyja remarked while subtly glancing at a rather happy Adrien, pretending not to notice his obvious fondness for the silver-haired bodyguard of Odin, “When she has the chance to spread her wings, she is absolutely extraordinary. We can also count ourselves fortunate that she is going to be at the summit tomorrow. Speaking of which, I’m told that you require my personal guard at the negotiation table.”

“What?!” Adrien said in shock, the three biblical factions had requested him at the negotiation table specifically. Who organised such an outrageous thing?

“It was actually Tasha who requested it, and after discussing it briefly with the other leaders that will be present, we came to the conclusion that the added knowledge of these ‘Abnormal Gears’ you’ve worked with may be vital to our survival.” Michael explained, easing the shocked look on Adrien’s face, “I’m told that the Vanishing Dragon will be acting as Azazel’s escort, whereas I will have Tasha among those who will accompany me. Along with Sirzechs having his sister’s peerage and Serafall choosing the same with her sister.”

“I also have concerns regarding a certain enemy you may have to face if they choose to show up at the summit.” Freyja said, obviously worried for her personal guard but she made sure to maintain her queenly nature, given the matter they was dealing with.

“I believe I have it in check milady. Before I had no idea what the ‘Lord of the Land’s’ Abnormal Gear could do, but I at least have a vague theory and if its correct, I should be able to win should they show.” Adrien spoke confidently, his professional nature crumbling between the praise Rossweisse was given and the amount of attention on him at the summit.

“So, what about me?” Issei piped in.

“I asked for you specifically Red Dragon Emperor. I have something that will greatly benefit you.” Michael spoke up.

Issei shivered as a felt a pull of energy, glancing up he saw the very source. An ornate sword Adrien easily knew of, it was shaped after a European design with a red and gold hilt, the handguard was shaped almost akin to the claws of a dragon that reached up to the blade, there was no doubt that it was definitely a powerful holy sword.

“I present to you, the blade of our Saint George, the Dragon Slaying Holy Sword, Ascalon.” Michael announced.

“Saint George of Lydda, member of the Praetorian Guard for the Roman Emperor Diocletian.” Adrien recited from the many hours in the past that he had free where he would study historical figures.

“The very same.” Michael nodded, “He was also an accomplished Dragon Slayer, which is why I feel you should have it Mr. Hyoudou.”

“Me? But it’s a Holy Sword… and it’s a weapon used to kill Dragons.” Issei had stepped forward, cautiously eyeing the Holy Sword, “Why?” he then asked.

“The reason we are so set on Asgard attending is to expand beyond just making peace,” he motioned towards Freyja. “Heaven lost God while Hell lost all four of the original Devil Kings while the Fallen Angels lost a large majority of their numbers, add the fact that the Tyrant Massacre that devils had to dealt with severely reduced their numbers beyond the point of what the Great War left them in and we have a major crisis on our hands. Azazel is vehemently against another war and I have no desire for it either. With the possibility of securing a safe relationship with Asgard, It is those in the Underworld that we wish to show our sincerity to. If we continue to have small skirmishes, all of us face annihilation either from slow decay of time or a foreign power like those that Asgard have dealt with prior to this. Don’t feel awkward, I have presented gifts to the other powers as well. Your side even gave us several Holy Demonic Swords to study, so we are grateful.”

“(Guess that’s what Kiba was doing.)” Issei thought aloud.

“Our sides had peace to defeat the dragon you now possess.” The Archangel continued. “If you wield this sword, it could be a symbol showing such cooperation is needed once more.”

Issei’s mood darkened to some degree; apparently his nickname among devils was the Weakest Red Dragon Emperor in history. Regardless of how minor the jab at his prowess was, it was enhanced by Vali’s remark during a brief encounter the previous day, the words Vali had spoken to him about his incomplete Balance Breaker and how he needed to be coddled to get stronger hurt his pride somewhat.

“Can I even touch it?” Issei finally said, apparently resolved to grow stronger so such statements were no longer valid.

“Myself and Ms. Himejima performed a combined purification ritual to guarantee it won’t harm you.” Akeno nodded to confirm Michael’s statement.

Adrien calmly watched as Issei stretched out his hand, claiming the sword with a wince expecting the he had felt in after the battle against Irina before Kokabiel’s attack. Upon realising there was no pain, Issei gasped a sigh of relief. The holy aura shined bright yet ignored Issei’s devil attributes. Issei deeply focused on the sword, after a moment, his Sacred Gear burst to life, the weapon dispersing into holy light as the holy sword had merged with the Boosted Gear, creating something akin to a punching dagger.

“I did it.” Issei said, still somewhat amazed that the Boosted Gear could allow itself to merge with a Dragon Slaying Sword without issue.

“I believe that concludes our issue here.” Freyja said, clearly satisfied with how things turned out

_Not Long After_

“Another?” Akeno said as she offered another cup of tea to Adrien.

“No thanks. I’ll be on my way.” Adrien replied politely, even giving a bow before he left, however he glanced at Issei and then subtly motioned towards Akeno, which for a moment left confusion on the young devil’s face.

“(Does he know of the bad blood that Akeno has with her family.)” Issei wondered briefly before turning to Akeno.

“Akeno… there’s something I wanted to ask about.” Issei said, slightly hesitant to speak about what was on his mind, “Are you… really the daughter of a Fallen Angel?”

Issei wasn’t that familiar with the name Baraqiel, he only heard of it in that brief moment during the fight with Kokabiel before Adrien arrived.

* * *

_During the Fight with Kokabiel_

_“Could it be she who possesses Baraqiel’s power?” Kokabiel taunted._

_“Don’t speak his name… I AM NOTHING LIKE THAT MONSTER!” Akeno responded in pure rage at being compared to someone she vehemently despised._

* * *

_Present Day_

“I am…” Akeno answered honestly, “As you heard from Kokabiel. Baraqiel is my father and one of the leaders of the Fallen Angels whereas my mother was a human, she was a shrine-maiden and one day she found a Fallen Angel injured from battle, needless to say she did her job well. Eventually they married and then I came along.”

Suddenly, without the slightest hesitation, Akeno lowered her robe from her shoulders, baring her breasts as Issei was left in surprise. Before Issei could utter a word, two different wings erupted from her back. One was of a devil, whereas the other was that of a Fallen Angel.

“I have quite the mismatched plumage don’t I?” Akeno started again, “I possess the wings of both a devil and a Fallen Angel. I thought that when I met Rias and became her Queen I thought I could throw away the fact that I was born a Fallen Angel but becoming a devil made things worse.”

Issei was still registering what he was seeing, he had grown used to seeing two wings of a devil with Akeno, this was an entirely different scenario he was dealing with.

“Fallen Angels killed you Issei, as well as Asia. Don’t forget that they even had Tasha fearful of what would happen to Kuoh Academy.” Akeno stated.

“But… didn’t you help Tasha get settled into Kuoh? Both you and Rias.” Issei remembered, he cared for Tasha the same way he cared for Asia, both were precious, but he didn’t have anything close to lecherous thoughts when it came to Tasha, but he couldn’t describe how he felt around her, but it wasn’t the same as any romantic or lecherous feelings like he had around other girls.

“Perhaps that was merely a façade to make you think of me as a nice person when in fact I’m far from it.” Akeno said, hoping to trick Issei.

“Yeah… I do hate Fallen Angels… but your different… You’re a fantastic person with a killer rack… I guess what I’m trying to say is… You’re not just a fantastic woman, you’re great at being one too.” Issei explained, “Damn it, of course it would get mixed up in my head. I had it planned as well.”

“That was perfectly fine Issei.” Akeno commented with a smile. Issei suddenly found himself on his back as Akeno hugged him despite her chest being bare. “When you say things like that… what’s a girl to do?”

“Um… I…” Issei struggled to figured out any words to say in the situation he was in.

“If Rias is number one, Asia is number two. I suppose that would leave it in a pretty good spot…” Akeno started, she then brought herself close to Issei’s ears and then whispered, “Third.”

“Ah! I think I’m perfectly fine with that.” Issei quickly replied, shivering from having Akeno’s sultry voice so close to him.

“I bet ‘Little Issei’ is more than happy with it too.” Akeno teased, maintaining her sultry voice.

Issei’s face continued to heat up in the face of Akeno’s attempts at seducing him.

* * *

_Moments before_

Adrien was leaving the shrine just as Rias made her way there after dealing with a meeting to help setup the peace summit. “I’ll assume things on your end went well?” Adrien started the conversation with.

“Yes… a bit time-consuming but they went well in the end.” Rias answered, “How did things go for you?”

“Turns out I’m at the table to help all sides adapt to those who wield Abnormal Gears.” Adrien said, sighing afterwards, “Still, I have information that everyone can work with but at the moment it’s the basics. Even though I’ve worked with the Abnormal Gears frequently, I’ve yet to understand them in great detail.”

“Well, even if it’s just basic stuff. Anything to help with this new brand of Sacred Gears will help in the long run.” Rias said, “I’m as nervous about the summit as you are… How did things with Akeno go?”

“She’s with Issei sorting some things out.” Adrien answered, this left Rias needing to rush to where Issei and Akeno were with a rather stern look, “(I’m thankful I have no intention of having a harem.)”

“Issei!” Rias said with a stern voice.

“President!” Issei yelped startled.

Adrien continued leaving the Shrine to focus on his own problems for the time being but Issei was helping fix the rift between Akeno and her family.


	11. The Dragon’s Clash Amid Malicious Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fighting at the Summit continues to escalates, amidst the chaos, Adrien fiercely fights the enemy that he had drawn a stalemate against in their last bout. How will things turn out?

“(This means brother will have to face him head on)” Tasha noted, after hearing that her brother would have to face his next foe.

Just as Adrien went to take off in Ouroboros armor, Creuserey attempted to attack him with fire blast, only for it to clash with a lightning spell from Tasha, who to the surprise of many present stepped in as one of those opponents of the previous Devil King descendants.

“What right does a human have interfering in our business?!” Creuserey shouted in complete outrage that his attack was so easily thwarted.

“Sorry, but my brother just needs a bit of space to work.” Tasha said with a smile, “So I need to make sure that you stay clear of him.”

“Is she talented in combat Michael? She seems to avoid it mostly.” Sirzechs asked, concerned about Tasha’s safety.

“She’s shown massive potential, so much that I have had to make time to train her myself given that she can outmatch most angels on natural talent alone.” Michael answered.

“I admit I won’t be able to match them alone.” Tasha confessed modestly.

“I’m game to help the young lady.” Azazel said, more than happy to join in, “This ought to be fun, given that you didn’t even team up during the civil war many years ago.”

“As will I.” Serafall stated, eagerly jumping in to face the Devil King descendants. In the meantime, Sirzechs, Michael and Freyja would tend to the defense of the summit.

“You have no intentions of backing down?” Sirzechs called out, hoping to negotiate away from immediately fighting.

“You know the answer to that, Fake Devil King.” Shalba spat in a cold tone.

* * *

_Off in the distance_

A man with golden hair and an upright face made his approach, his clothes seemed to reference that he was a noble from a distinguished family. Strapped to his back was a large halberd with a white shaft adorned with gold ornaments, a gold pommel and charcoal grey axe-blade and spike.

The man looked up to see Adrien clad in Ouroboros’ Balance Breaker, “To think you would reveal yourself so suddenly… The Undefeated Dragon must be a bigger fool that I could ever have thought.” The man taunted. He then began to recite an incantation.

“[Woe to you Ancient Dragon plagued by greed, let your ideals become the insurance of desires far and wide. Reincarnate, Fafnir’s Greed.]” with that the man was clad in a bulky, land-based armor with only basic flight capabilities, nothing like what Ouroboros could do in flight. Heavy charcoal-grey dragon-armor covered the chest, arms and legs which had golden accents, attached to the side of the shoulder were large high-powered cannons that had a short barrel to them, atop his head was a visor akin to the one Ouroboros had except it had gold horns adorning it as if it were like a crown.

“Mikael, This meeting has more worth than you could ever understand.” Adrien stated.

“Oh? In that case… Care to show me What That Worth Is?!” Mikael goaded with an eager expression.

“[**Heavy Caliber**]” Adrien used the immense speed provided by the time-altering technique to charge straight for Mikael.

“[**Immortal Aegis**]” Mikael responded by summoning three high-power defense barriers with a purple glow to them. Adrien collided with it and was immediately halted, allowing Mikael’s halberd to leave a cut on the Undefeated Dragon’s abdomen, however Adrien flew up seemingly unfazed by the wound.

“Looks like I have you figured out.” Adrien stated, “Fafnir’s Greed’s [**Book of a Thousand Magics**] can steal powers from its opponents as long as physical contact has occurred. But to use that stolen power, instead of draining your stamina, it drains the opponents."

“I should praise that sharp wit of yours, however…” Mikael retorted, suddenly the cannons on his shoulders fired a high-power magic infused bullet that caught Adrien off guard, the bullet hit him square in the face, causing minor burns on part of his face.

“Right back at you.” Adrien retaliated with the same, hitting Mikael with a brutal round of his own, both men’s faces had been slightly burned as a result. Then they resorted to clashing with their weapons, the very collisions causing the earth and sky to tremble.

* * *

_Occult Research Club_

Thanks in part to Adrien’s initial burst of [**Sealed Fate**]’s power, over half the rogue magicians that had ambushed Koneko and Gasper were rendered defenceless as Issei and Rias easily cleared through them.

“Seems Adrien’s power to cancel out magic works on just about anything at any range huh?” Issei wondered, considering how far Issei and his master were from the summit, it seemed almost impossible that a spell could reach it.

“No actually, it does have a range, otherwise Gasper’s power wouldn’t have affected everyone.” Rias started explaining only to gasp as she looked at the sky, “Look at the sky! It’s shifting!”

“Is that where Adrien is?” Issei wondered, given the name the Abnormal Gears were known for, perhaps this was a side effect of the Abnormal Gears.

“Whoever Adrien is fighting must have a Sacred Gear like him.” Rias figured out, “Anyway, let’s keep pushing forward, most of the magicians can’t fight given that their powers were nullified.

In the library, the magicians were having trouble with the spells they setup to bind Gasper and Koneko. “Why is the spell failing? Do they have someone with Anti-Magic abilities on their side?”

“Yeah! And he’s a total badass to boot!” Issei cheered as one of the magicians got a right hook across the face, knocking them unconscious. A blast of Rias’ [Power of Destruction] took out another magician, leaving the lead sorceress to fend for herself.

“Rias… Issei… Please, just kill me. I don’t want to hurt anyone.” Gasper pleaded.

“Listen Gasper. I want you to cause a lot of trouble.” Rias instructed, “Then I will scald you again and again and then I will hold you and never let go.”

“Okay.” Gasper said, somewhat reassured that he wasn’t going to cause harm again.

“Gasper!” Issei called out, using Ascalon to cause a slight cut to himself, the drops of blood coating the blade were then flung in Gasper’s direction, granted Rias was slightly put off at what Issei was doing given the harm a holy dragon slaying sword could do to Issei.

The drops of blood landed on Gasper, who desperately licked at the blood, causing his power to surge at a much more controlled rate. Gasper then turned into a swarm of bats, using a strange, murky darkness, he began draining the magic out of the sorceress.

“But how? This shouldn’t be possible.” The lead sorceress struggled to get out.

“I’m guessing you didn’t hear the part about us having someone with the ability to use Anti-Magic. Although from what I know, this is slightly different given that it caused quite a bit of interference with your spells.

“You bitch, I’ll give you such an unsightly fa-“ the sorceress spat back only to be frozen in place by Gasper’s power.

“Let’s get you down from there.” Rias said with a smile.

“Um… President…” Issei stated, looking at the sky once more, “I don’t know how to put this other than just having you look.”

Rias easily unravelled the binding spell that had Koneko stuck, Gasper having freed himself thanks to Issei. “Not just the sky, but the heavens themselves have gathered to watch two dragons battle.” Rias said as if it were a passage from an ancient text.

* * *

_Back at the Summit_

The fighting had spoiled outside, Azazel vs. Katerea Leviathan, Serafall vs. Shalba Beelzebub and Tasha vs. Creuserey Asmodeus.

Speaking of Tasha, she was using a barrage to lightning based projectile to contend with Creuserey’s powerful magic. “(He’s definitely used Ophis to amplify his power. Otherwise he would have fell by now.)” Tasha theorised.

“How is it a lowly human can match the might of the true rulers of the Underworld?!” Creuserey demanded to know in complete disbelief that his power was being matched.

“I just have a good teacher, there’s plenty of people gathered here that are far better than I.” Tasha answered modestly, switching to fire magic to try and throw her opponent off-guard. All three of the Devil King descendants were thrown off guard as a massive bombardment of Fire magic came thundering down upon them.

“Her ability to cast spells of high power so quickly is certainly impressive.” Azazel noted.

“She’s still human, so she’s guaranteed to DIE!” Katerea responded, refusing any praise to one of the few humans involved in the Summit. Instead responding by unleashing a dark aura to clash with the bombardment, whereas her Old Satan Faction allies used powerful defense spells to block the bombardment.

Azazel slipped past Katerea and swung a backhand which was met by the Leviathan descendant’s staff, “Looks like that’s a lot more aura than a devil-king’s descendant should possess, and I even think the young lady down there figured it out after the first attack.” Azazel stated with a smug grin.

Shalba was holding reasonably well against Serafall, the new leviathan was motivated to guarantee her sister’s safety and wasn’t holding back in the slightest. “Kuh! Wretched False Descendant, Just Die!” Shalba cursed, growing impatient as he released a powerful stream of dark energy that clashed with Serafall’s fireball, a large explosion followed by a massive smokescreen.

In the midst of the smoke Shalba had made an attempt to pick off Tasha who had gotten far too focused on Creuserey to suspect him jumping her from behind, however Shalba only ended up triggering a rune that knocked the wind out of him and then flung him back in Serafall’s direction, his armor taking a barrage of ice projectiles head on, the armor was clearly of good construction because despite some of the projectile getting through and injuring Shalba, the devil king descendant held on, implying the armor at least cushioned the impact.

“I admit I am quite surprised you haven’t joined in Lady Freyja. I heard you are among the strongest of the Vanir.” Sirzechs mentioned.

“Once upon a time, I indeed was that person, however I feel I am needed on standby given the mighty foe that my dear escort faces.” Freyja answered, she wasn’t opposed to aiding her allies, but she knew that Adrien would likely comeback literally covered head to toe in injuries, so her power was needed to be focused on support, “Forgive me if I seem selfish.”

“No need to apologise, if not for Adrien I doubt we would be alive right now.” Michael replied in his kind, calming voice, “It is only fair we do our best here so he can focus on his foe.”

“It seems wrong though, to have to rely on one man to face an entire faction on his own. But we are all ill-prepared to face them.” Freyja said with a saddened expression.

“[That ties into my brother’s greatest strength and weakness. He is very stubborn, even if we insist on getting involved, he will refuse to listen to us and persist on his own. As his sister I ask you one sole favor, to you, Thrúd and especially Rossweisse… Watch over my brother who fights for you.]” Tasha requested through telepathy. Freyja continued to help with maintaining the barrier protecting the leaders of the other factions as well as their retainers, all while intently watching where her personal guard was fighting.

** End of Chapter 11 **


	12. The Princess’ Burden amidst the Dragon’s Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tasha takes a step towards making sure the Old Satan Faction fail with their plan while something inside Issei stirs.

The Devil King descendants were a mighty force to be reckoned with, Tasha had ended up with minor injuries from Creuserey’s attacks, but she felt she could still continue.

“This is proving more difficult than I first thought. However, I can’t stop now.” Tasha admitted, she turned to Michael who gave a firm nod and she then took a particular stance, the area around her and Creuserey looked like they was in the midst of a hurricane.

“What manner of magic is this?” Creuserey asked in terror, having not seen this spell before.

“Something akin to a forbidden spell. I’m not supposed to use these types of spells in any fight unless I have no other choice, so perhaps you can have some semblance of pride in making me resort to using it, although I doubt there will be much left of you to do that.” Tasha explained, “[Katrina’s Fall]”

Suddenly, lightning imbued spikes skewered and electrocuted Creuserey, the devil king descendant howled in sheer agony, especially so as one of the lightning spikes impaled his right eye as well charring much of the right side of his face. With one of the Old Satan Faction leaders incapacitated for the time being, however, Tasha vomited blood up, however Michael began using a healing spell of some kind to mitigate the damage the forbidden spell did to Tasha, along with the obvious pain was a lot of exhaustion as it took most of Tasha’s willpower for her to not collapse outright.

“Are you sure she was supposed to use that spell Michael?” Sirzechs asked in a worried tone.

“Fear not, we’re mitigating the effects of the spell.” Freyja informed, aiding Michael’s efforts to mitigate the spell’s effects on its caster, not wanting to see the expression of her personal guard if he were to find out.

“It was a forbidden spell she used. She’s well-versed in them but I assure you I gave it great thought before giving her the word to use it.” Michael said, somewhat apologetically.

“I will save asking where she learned that kind of spell for later.” Sirzechs noted, somewhat disturbed at Tasha’s expansive knowledge of magic.

“I think it’s time I get serious as well.” Azazel decided, pulling out what appeared to be a miniature golden lance, a purple orb acting as the pommel.

“What is that?” Katerea wondered in confusion.

“Call it my hobby.” Azazel started, “This is the Downfall Dragon Spear, an artificial Sacred Gear crafted by yours truly. While it isn’t an equal to the Abnormal Gears, I’m quite proud of it. [Balance Breaker]”

A bright golden light covered Azazel as a suit of armor similar to Vali’s Balance Breaker formed, except instead of silver and blue, Azazel’s was gold and purple, his 6 pairs of black feathery wing appeared momentarily for a truly monstrous visage, strapped to his back was a two-prong spear made of holy light.

[DOWNFALL DRAGON ANOTHER ARMOR]

* * *

  
Occult Research Club

Issei looked on as he couldn’t help but feel envious as he couldn’t use his Balance Breaker as easily as the others could, “If I try using the Balance Breaker I’d have to give up my left arm and it only lasts for ten seconds.” Issei mentioned, cursing his weakness.

“Try to remember that the Balance Breaker will happen naturally given time. It might have happened naturally during the ordeal with Riser if you pushed it enough.” Rias stated.

“So, it’s dependant on… willpower… or your ideals? I don’t know. Everyone else pulls of the Balance Breaker so easily yet I can’t even hold it for ten seconds.” Issei wondered, “DAMN IT ALL!” he then punched a wall out of pure frustration, causing Koneko, Rias and Gasper to flinch.

However, quickly after Rias embraced Issei in a hug, “Stay strong my dear servant. You’ll get your chance to shine, I know you will.”

Issei couldn’t help but breakdown into tears, “I’m so pathetic… I can barely control my Sacred Gear, outside of that I’m just cannon-fodder. Kiba has a Balance Breaker, there are people in the other factions that have them, yet everyone looks at me and laughs because I’m so weak.”

“You’re not weak Issei! Far from it! Just because you haven’t unlocked your Balance Breaker doesn’t mean it’s impossible. You are my Pawn and I can’t call myself a King of my own peerage if you can’t unlock the true potential of your Sacred Gear. Understand?” Rias said, aggressively scalding Issei for the what he was saying.

* * *

Outside…

“Now come here.” Azazel said as he taunted the Devil King descendant before him.

“I’ll kill you!” Katerea vowed lunging forward only to receive a painful cut across her body as Azazel struck first. She let out a shrill scream.

Shalba wasn’t fairing too much better himself, the shock of Creuserey’s predicament threw him completely off balance, allowing Serafall to get the upper hand. She even froze Shalba’s arm solid, going from the forearm down.

The descendant of the previous Beelzebub fired an attack at the ground, creating a smokescreen as he grabbed Katerea, albeit against her will.

“What are you doing!” Katerea demanded to know.

“We are outmatched, that girl cursed with knowledge made things one-sided, if she had the means to stave off the after-effects of Forbidden Magic, we’d all be dead.” Shalba scalded coldly, “We’ll retreat now for victory later.”

After the Old Satan Faction leaders retreated, it appeared that everyone had been working together to aid in clearing out the rogue magicians and devils. “Nice, looks like they’re almost done clearing things up, and time is flowing as it was before” Azazel commented, he also noticed that everyone that was frozen in time had been freed and aided in clearing up the opposition. Then a white flash sent him plummeting to the ground. “Damn, must be by old age getting to me. Bad Vali!”

“Sorry Azazel, things just looked more interesting on this side.” Vali said with little to no care for his actions.

“So you’re the traitor huh?” Thrúd asked, already knowing the answer.

“Still, teaming up with the Khaos Brigade seemed somewhat beneath you.” Azazel mentioned.

“I would’ve dealt with those three myself the moment they get in the way.” Vali stated, “The Khaos Brigade is just a group that formed to use our power.”

“I figured as much. Both you and the other members of the Old Satan Faction were robbed of Devil King titles.” Azazel continued, “Add the fact you have a Sacred Gear, and your entire existence is a complete joke.”

“I’d go with miracle, but to each their own.” Vali retorted, his 5 pairs of devil wings appearing, “I am Vali Lucifer, descendant of the previous Lucifer. My mother was a human so I’m a half-breed.”

“Of course, half-human, it would only make sense that way.” Sirzechs said, originally in shock.

“Then there’s the leader to think about, that would have to be Ophis the Ouroboros Dragon

“The Ouroboros Dragon…” Vali said, chuckling afterwards, “One of Asgard’s precious few has associated with her long before I even met her.”

Thrúd, Rossweisse and Freyja were in complete disbelief because they all knew who it was Vali was talking about. They knew of Adrien’s criminal past but for him to have associated with one of the strongest dragons in existence was another story altogether.

“The Ouroboros Dragon?” Issei was unfamiliar with such an entity given is clueless look.

“Ophis, otherwise known as the ‘Infinite Dragon God’, a dragon so strong that not even the Biblical God would be a match for them.” Rias explained, still on edge about what Vali was saying.

“Issei Hyoudou, Fate can be cruel. Can’t it? I am the strongest of the White Dragon Emperors whereas you are among the weakest Red Dragon Emperors. Me and You are further apart than the sky and the earth.” Vali commented.

“What are you gonna do? Rub it in more?” Issei asked, clearly not in a good mood.

“I think you should try harder… maybe even be more ambitious. I could tip the scales by killing your parents. Granted, they’d be grateful for me putting them out of their misery.” Vali advised.

“Oh Issei.” Asia voiced her sorrow for Issei’s torment.

However, something in Issei’s soul had gone from a dwindling flame… to a raging inferno. “So he thinks he’ll kill my parents huh?” Issei started, his anger at its limits, “LIKE FUCK WILL I LET THAT HAPPEN!”

Suddenly Issei’s power surged drastically, even blowing Rias back with the sheer force of it. All of Issei’s emotions had been helping him gather power… and that power… Was Now Being Released!

[WELSH DRAGON BALANCE BREAKER]

Off in the Distance…

“(About time he figured it out)” Adrien thought, clearly picking up on Issei’s perfected Balance Breaker. 


	13. The Resolve of a Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikael and Adrien's fighting only grows more intense while Adrien confesses to his reason to fight admist all the chaos. Xenovia makes a return after going into hiding since the incident with Kokabiel.

Issei had just managed to achieve his perfected Balance Breaker and with all of his emotions, clad in blazing red armor, he charged for Vali, suddenly hitting him across the jaw, much to the surprise of the White Dragon Emperor. “Where did get this strength and speed come from?” Vali wondered in shock.

“Ascalon!” Issei summoned the holy dragon slayer sword. Had Vali not distanced himself, Issei would have gutted him there and then.

“[Be careful Vali. If we so much as get grazed by that blade, it could be a catastrophe.]” Albion, the Vanishing Dragon warned from within the Sacred Gear, Divine Dividing.

“That’s true… If he can hit me.” Vali replied, taking off a high speed, Issei immediately went after him. Given Vali’s much more vast experience wielding the Balance Breaker, it was relatively easy for him to overwhelm Issei.

“Weak! Your too weak!” Vali taunted, a resounding [Divide] played as the Divine Dividing Sacred Gear halved Issei power, causing him cough up blood as he started= to plummet into the ground.

“Of course, his Sacred Gear divides anything he touches in half, and I think he can send that power through his wings.” Issei noted aloud, looking at the red particles flowing out of the wings of Vali’s Sacred Gear, “In that case, I think I have this in the bag.”

“Do you? You can’t even keep up with me. What can you do so late in the game?” Vali asked, daring Issei to do something.

“Come here, if you’ve got the balls to find out.” Issei taunted, smugly grinning behind the armor.

Vali was more than willing to charge in to finish Issei off. However, Issei remembered something Adrien mentioned to him on a one-to-one basis, “_An opponent is most exposed when they are about to deliver the finishing blow, that’s when they let down their guard_” Issei wondered whether it would be a good idea to have Adrien help him learn and develop the Boosted Gear’s power, given his expertise on the variety of techniques his Abnormal Gear had.

As if time had slowed down for Issei, he managed to slip past Vali and lock him up in a full-nelson, shocking the White Dragon Emperor. “[Vali, you should have known that he was waiting for you! He let his guard down on purpose!]” Albion scalded, to make matters worse for Vali, Issei was using the Boosted Gear to in an attempt to overload Divine Dividing.

“Whatever, you’re doing. It won’t work.” Vali confidently stated, hitting Issei in the ribs with an elbow, and just as Issei had loosened his grip, his fiery resolve allowed him to lock Vali up tighter than before.

“Ddraig, transfer power to Ascalon!” Issei called out, Ddraig immediately followed by using the [Transfer] ability of the Boosted Gear to send the Dragon Slayer aura from Ascalon into a punch Issei delivered into Vali’s ribs, causing the Vanishing Dragon to cough up a hefty amount of blood. Issei went back to making sure Vali was locked up, “Again!” the resounding [Transfer] that followed accelerated the power that was contained in Divine Dividing.

“[The system needs to be reset. Otherwise, we’ll lose!]” Albion stated.

“Feel the wrath of the Dragon Slayer!” As Issei cried this out, he delivered a vicious punch in the exact same place as before, forcing more blood from the White Dragon Emperor as the Balance Breaker exploded off of him.

“That’s more like it…” Vali said, regaining the lost wind that was knocked out of him, “I knew if you’d get angry enough, you’d be worthy of being my rival.” Vali quickly became clad in the white dragon armor once more, showing he was far from done.

“Damn it!” Issei cursed.

“[Dragons will continue to battle until either one is unable to continue.]” Albion explained.

“[That stunt you pulled just now drain a large amount of your power. If you don’t retreat, you’ll die.]” Ddraig informed his host.

“Ddraig, I’ll have you know I’m not really much of a gambling man, given my stupidity. But I’ve exhausted my only logical option.” Issei said, picking the sapphire colored jewel of Vali’s armor that had broken off.

“[Are you really willing to let fate decide how this goes? That’s a reckless move.]” Ddraig seemed genuinely concerned, given how Albion and Ddraig contradicted one another.

“I’ll keep going until I’ve done what I want to do. Besides, I’m sure you know what that is by now.” Issei said, seemingly okay with the possibility of him dying.

“[That’s some resolve. I in turn shall match your resolve. For I am the Welsh Dragon! Issei Hyoudou, Are you ready?]” Ddraig’s voice now echoed, seemingly showing a fierce determination as the Boosted Gear’s gems began to glow a vivid green.

“Hell Yeah!” Issei cried out, crushing the blue gem in his hand, a kind of pain Issei could never have comprehended in his wildest dreams surged into his right hand as he howled in agony.

“Trying to take my power?” Vali asked, his arrogance detailing that he thought such a thing impossible.

“Kiba managed it. Fused Holy and Devil powers together. If he can I can too. I’ll take your Divine Dividing, combined with my Boosted Gear and then kick your ass!” Issei vowed, “Respond to my wish Sacred Gear and do your work!”

[VANISHING DRAGON, POWER IS TAKEN!]

A white and blue version of the Boosted Gear appeared on Issei’s right hand, shocking both Vali and Albion. “[Impossible, that should be impossible.]” Albion said in complete disarray.

“Well, you’re at least making this interesting.” Vali stated, seemingly pleased at what Issei had done.

[Half Dimension] Suddenly with a motion from Vali’s hand, the dimensions began shrinking. “What’s going on?” Issei wondered.

“Vali is warping the dimensions, a reckless strategy.” Michael mentioned.

“Issei, let me make this clear right off the back.” Azazel quickly piped in, “Two things, One: You’ll have to want it more if you want to win. Two: That techniques halves everything in its vicinity… meaning Rias’ bust will also shrink.”

“Say what?” Rias clearly was thrown off as she was magically dragged into the ordeal.

Issei had thought he had reached his limit before when Vali threatened his family, but the shock of the possibility of Rias’ breasts being halved. “You monster! I won’t let you get away with this!” Issei roared with a newfound determination.

Issei’s power began growing so quickly that the barrier protecting the school had to be reinforced to stop its destruction. “This fight is hilarious! His power is increasing this quickly because he doesn’t want his master’s chest to shrink.” Azazel said, not bothering to fight off the urge to laugh.

After overhearing what Azazel said, Vali was left in complete confusion, he didn’t recall Half-Dimension doing… ANYTHING close to what Azazel claimed, then again, he never really paid much attention to womanly beauty given his personal preference of fighting.

Vali had to weave out of the way as a massive torrent of draconic energy nearly ran him down. “Where’d all this power come from?” Vali wondered as he took off, Issei immediately chased him down, striking him with the white and blue version of the Boosted Gear.

“Let’s see what this ‘Dividing Gear’ can do.” Issei said to himself, next a resounding [Divide] weakened Vali, forcing blood out of him. “Would it just be Rias’s breasts or would you half Akeno’s too?” he continued ranting much to the confusion of his opponent.

Issei delivered two kicks and a knee strike that slammed into Vali’s chest. “Or what about Asia? She deserves to grow!”

Then followed an elbow, “Don’t you dare think about halving Koneko’s, there’d be nothing left!” to finish the barrage of strikes, Issei slammed his head as hard as possible into Vali as the two crashed into the ground in a pile of red and white armor.

“Well… that was different.” Vali said as he got up from the pile, “I’ve got what I came for. So I think I’ll leave things here. I want to see where your power will get you Issei. Next time, let’s go all-out.”

With that Vali teleported away. Issei ended up collapsing from the amount of power he threw out. “Given the amount of power that Issei just threw out, it’s no surprise he’d drop like that.” Azazel said.

Now that both the rogue magicians and devil associated with the Old Satan Faction had been wiped out. Everything became silent… a detail that troubled those closest to Adrien.

“Adrien beat that Ernest guy in seconds. I don’t like this one bit.” Thrúd said, an unnerving feeling running through her body.

* * *

_Meanwhile_

Neither side had gained any ground, a repeat of the last fight that Mikael and Adrien had, yet both were littered with injuries that varied between each fighter, Mikael received a black eye and Adrien had his lip cut open when the two swung punches at one another, along with moderate cuts from their sharp weapons, yet the two could still keep going, relatively unfazed.

“[**Heavy Caliber**]” Adrien decided he would try to end the battle in one fell swoop. Yet [**Immortal Aegis**] proved too strong a defense. Adrien was completely halted, allowing Mikael to grab the Undefeated Dragon’s wrist and siphon Ouroboros’ power, “(I left myself wide open!)”

“I’ve got you now Undefeated Dragon! [**Heavy Caliber**]” Mikael announced, even trying out the new technique he just acquired. In response, Adrien freed himself and took to the sky, Mikael however was in hot pursuit.

* * *

_Back at the Summit_

After a while of silence, Thrúd and Rossweisse noticed the red sparks in the sky getting closer. “They’re heading our way.”

Anyone who was out in the field of battle moved back in range of the barrier surrounding Kuoh, already knowing Adrien would throw everything including the kitchen sink to make his foe fall.

Adrien slammed into the ground, thankfully he was still on his feet, but he took a nasty cut across one of his pectorals. Mikael using the ground based manoeuvrability of his Abnormal Gear to close the gap, then the two clashed once more.

“Adrien Freeman, you know of the world’s darkest secrets, yes?” Mikael questioned, before explaining his grand plan, “I made it clear the last time we fought that I was to be a destined ruler and would become that ruler for the sake of changing the world and creating the ideal kingdom. To do that, Me and my commanding officer must collect powerful artefacts and powerful allies to prepare for the [War of the Worlds]!”

Mikael backed away, firing three shots from the [**Helheim’s Radiance**] cannons, only for them to be blocked by three defensive barriers, the moment the blasts were blocked, out of the smoke came a determined Adrien, attempting to pierce through [**Immortal Aegis**] but to no avail.

Everyone began to notice that while Ouroboros had automatically been repairing itself, it seemed that the [Balance Breaker] was running on fumes, the red on the armor flickering a faded color as the flight systems spluttered its crimson fumes “Oh? Have you lost control of your Abnormal Gear? You must be at rock bottom by now.”

“That’s enough Adrien!” Rossweisse called out, clearly hurt about the pain Adrien was being put through, “You’ve played your part as a representative of Asgard perfectly.”

“I’m not done yet.” Adrien retorted.

“But we was simply using you as a tool. Isn’t that something you hate?” Rossweisse asked, trying to get him to stand down so he wouldn’t be put through more pain, “Just say that we were using you as a tool.”

Her pleas were given no response but seeing this young man, who Asgard took in when he had nowhere else to go, in such a dangerous way, it tore at her heart, she wanted to know this man, be his friend, be a trusted comrade, she didn’t want him in pain of any kind. It hurt her so much that she began to shed tears, “Just let this wretched feeling go away.” Rossweisse pleaded, even going as far as to grab Thrúd and hug her tightly.

There was a brief pause before Adrien gave off a fierce look of determination, “You are My Precious Valkyrie.” He said somewhat aggressively, catching Rossweisse’s attention.

“As long as I have you around. I’ll take on the whole world, God or Human, everyone’s an opponent.” Adrien vowed, “So please, Let me fight for you!” after this statement, Adrien brought his blade as high as he possibly could.

“You moron! What can you do now when your Abnormal Gear is running on empty?” Mikael questioned.

“[**Shattering Cannon**]!” Adrien charged at Mikael his speed increasing drastically as massive quantity of unstable, green energy was spewing from the repaired wings. Tasha put a specific enchantment on the barrier surrounding Kuoh Academy to stop it and everyone inside from being burnt away by the energy.

“Die! Fallen Dragon who tries to be the hero!” Mikael shouted, summoning [**Immortal Aegis**] to block the oncoming attack. Adrien slammed into the barriers with tremendous force.

“’I’ve never really had any plans on being a hero, however.” Adrien started, Mikael then realised much to his disbelief that [**Immortal Aegis**] couldn’t block the attack and started breaking one barrier after another.

“Impossible!” Mikael shouted in disbelief.

“I made a vow to change the world, I will do so and make sure that people like you are denied their salvation!” Adrien stated, preparing an overhead swing which then slammed into Mikael, a devastating blast of green energy soon followed leaving an unconscious and barely alive ‘Lord of the Land’ left behind with the upper half of his clothing burnt to cinders, showing the copious injuries he had sustained.

It was at this point Freyja realised something, “He shouldn’t have been able to use that technique!” she cried out in concern.

* * *

_Before his fight against Ernest_

_Freyja was simply wandering Asgard, greeting the locals with a beaming smile on her face. She noticed somewhere in the sky that Adrien was practicing with Ouroboros, however after dispersing a massive wave of green energy, he went straight into a nose-dive from quite high up, causing her to rush to where a loud crash had happened. _

_When Freyja reached Adrien, he had just tumbled out of Ouroboros’ crippled Balance Breaker, the red lights on it flickering. “What in Asgard’s name were you doing! You could’ve got yourself killed from that high up!” Freyja scalded intensely. _

_“I… was trying a different technique out.” Adrien explained._

_“What manner of technique is it?!” Freyja demanded to know that atrocious technique he was attempting._

_“I tried it before… 8 years ago.” Adrien continued explaining, coughing up a bit of blood in the process from the strain of the attack, “I need to be able to use it at full power. But still…” _

_“You shouldn’t be attempting such dangerous tactics. You worried me greatly for trying it.” Freyja scalded, a much gentler tone used as she embraced Adrien in a soft hug, using her Sage Arts in a comforting manner to aid in healing him._

* * *

_Present Day_

“The ‘Shattering Cannon’, one of the secret techniques my brother had been trying to develop. Before he made it to Asgard, the last time he’d tried the technique was when he was 12 years old, that was when he first got Ouroboros.” Tasha started explaining in detail, “Because my brother can’t actively use the full power of Ouroboros safely, he came up with a theory that allows him to bypass the safety measures on Ouroboros for less than a second to access an abnormal power. To put it in simpler terms, its essentially a double-edged sword that requires the utmost PERFECT timing.”

“An abnormal method to obtain an abnormal power…” Azazel concluded, simultaneously, both he and Freyja said.

“What a bizarre thing to do with your own two hands.”

“It’s one of my brother’s quirks. He rarely worries about his younger sister, but he’ll always be fighting for someone other than himself.” Tasha commented.

Suddenly, the sound of something clattering was heard, and a familiar face arrived with a dismantled automated Balance Breaker laid out in front of her. “Seems like they were going to ambush you while the leader was the distraction.” Xenovia stated, revealing herself, Durandal resting on her shoulder while she was covered in minor injuries head to toe.

“Xenovia! You’re alive!” Irina said with relief as she embraced her long time comrade.

“Sorry to worry you, but while I was away I had caught on to some movement the Khaos Brigade were making in regard to this summit and was investigating it. Sorry I couldn’t get any information to you.” Xenovia explained, “Phew, those things are a pain to get through, especially in mass.”

“Your efforts to aid us are most welcome.” Michael said with a joyous smile, “I am thankful your safe and sound.”

After Adrien unleashed the Shattering Cannon, Ouroboros had been rendered completely immobile, the red lights on it completely gone. No matter how much he tried moving, the armor wasn’t giving way.

Thrúd and Rossweisse quickly rushed to his aid, searching for some sort of release mechanism. “Back… Neck…” Adrien weakly stated.

Thrúd caught on and found some sort of button on the back of the neck area of Ouroboros’ armor, she pressed it, causing a series of clicking sounds as Adrien was released from the crippled armor. Although he was barely conscious this time around, having used far more power than before. When he dropped, he was caught by Rossweisse.

“How’d… I do?” Adrien asked with a weak smile.

“You… performed in… a spectacular fashion.” Rossweisse commented, trying to use her professional attitude to hide how truly happy she was for him being so determined to fight for her sake.


	14. Warmth amidst a Field Of Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien rests while spending time with those close to him, but how much of an effect did his declaration have on those around him.
> 
> Here is the end of Arc 2- Otherworldly Alliances

_Asgard_

While Adrien was recovering from the effects of the Shattering Cannon, he was at least in condition to walk again and when he was able to move, he had just come to a realisation, especially when a certain daughter of a certain god told a certain notoriously mischievous Valkyrie of a certain series of events at a certain summit.

“(I screwed up!)” Adrien shouted in his mind.

“That has to be quite the special feeling Rossweisse, having someone proclaim that they essentially wish to be that treasured hero that every Valkyrie yearns for.” Kara started teasing, herself, Thrúd, Rossweisse and Adrien were with Freyja talking about the summit. Both Rossweisse and Adrien started blushing, yet Rossweisse made no comment.

“I-It was… In the heat of the moment… or… on impulse.” Adrien stammered.

“But you said it so clearly Adrien.” Freyja pointed, feigning a thinking expression as she recited his exact phrase, “You are My Precious Valkyrie.”

Both Adrien and Rossweisse blushed even more, no one denying the statement just given.

“If he really is serious about it, then I think you found the perfect match Rossweisse.” Thrúd joined in on the teasing, something would’ve been amidst if she hadn’t joined in because she was the one that threw Adrien under the figurative bus, “He’s caring, strong, and surely you must find him quite attractive physically too.”

“Stop teasing us!” Adrien, the teasing bothering him more than usual.

“Now that’s quite the issue.” Freyja started to point out, “Women tend to be put off by guys who can’t make their mind up.”

Adrien simply groaned, Kara continued piling the salt to the virtual wound, “However, from what I can gather. Your true nature is VERY aggressive and I’m sure women would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to get to see that side of you.”

Adrien’s face turned beat red and that didn’t go away when Rossweisse rather randomly, grabbed Adrien and pulled him as close to her as possible, like he was a teddy bear she’d won as an amusement park prize. When Adrien turned to look at Rossweisse, she was pouting in Kara’s general direction.

“Oh my, so possessive Rossweisse, I fear she may see all of us as potential rivals for Adrien’s affection.” Thrúd said, feigning fear by putting her hands up in mock surrender.

Much later on, when Kara, Thrúd and Freyja had stopped the teasing, and Adrien noted how much of a terrifying combination those three were when it came to teasing someone. Rossweisse and Adrien were spending time in town, getting to enjoy one another’s company.

“Shall we head to the local pub for a drink?” Adrien offered.

“Just… make sure you don’t order anything alcoholic for me. I’m not fond of it.” Rossweisse requested, the two made their way to The Einherjar’s Reprieve, named for the numerous Einherjar that had visited when they felt the need to recuperate after a fierce fight of some kind.

As the two made their way in, they noticed a lot of eyes on them suddenly. “It’s probably because of… what you said at the summit.” Rossweisse informed, a slight blush at the thought of Adrien’s words forming on her face. Ever since the summit, whenever she thought of Adrien’s little speech, she felt special, like to him, only she mattered.

When Tasha had mentioned Adrien’s thought process to Freyja, the Queen of the Valkyries mentioned it to Thrúd and Rossweisse briefly, it made the two wonder whether or not Adrien had anything ASIDE from other people to fight for.

Rossweisse took a seat near one of the windows while Adrien went to get drinks.

“My star pupil appears to be currently dating someone.” A voice Rossweisse recognised.

“B-Brynhildr… this… it isn’t… a d-d-date.” Rossweisse stammered, making sure to quickly bow, an effect the senior Valkyrie had on Rossweisse.

“With an exchange in drinks? I would beg to differ.” Brynhildr responded, despite the senior Valkyrie’s tone and body language always remaining serious, you could’ve sworn that for a split second, she had a teasing smirk of her face, “Do be careful not to become as perverted as the Allfather.”

“I wouldn’t dare.” Rossweisse asserted, it appeared to be evident that Brynhildr’s serious personality didn’t seem to end in any capacity.

“I would certainly hope not; do you have some time to spare? I would love to hear how you deal with our Allfather; it is truly a testament to your patience considering the last dozen couldn’t last half as long without quitting.”

“(Yikes. Odin’s either worse than he lets on or those Valkyries REALLY have zero tolerance for trouble.)” Adrien thought as just received the drinks he ordered, although the bartender seemed to know what Rossweisse wanted before Adrien could even ask her. Adrien then took notice of the Valkyrie sat next to Rossweisse, who looked in his direction, Adrien in some strange way felt threatened, subtly placing his hand on the pommel of Ouroboros.

“It’s appears my business means I’ll have to cut this short.” Brynhildr said, not wanting to keep Rossweisse from enjoying her little outing, “I bid you farewell.”

Brynhildr left, carefully eyeing Adrien on her way out. The senior Valkyrie knew of the man’s infamy, but she too was clueless about the events of the Tyrant Massacre. Adrien took his mind off the tense stare Brynhildr gave him and handed Rossweisse a fruity drink that always seemed to be adorned with the small parasol you find with cocktail drinks.

Rossweisse seemed surprised but Adrien mentioned, “Seems you’re a regular here.”

“I usually come here to relax because of how stressful working for the Allfather can be.” Rossweisse, “But I am also honored to have the role of Odin’s Bodyguard, regardless of what people say about me.”

“Seems like you have your hands full huh?” Adrien noticed.

“Quite.” Rossweisse replied, “If I may ask. Given your past, why are you so nice to people?”

“It’s kind of a long story.” Adrien said, “But it sort of started around the time of my parent’s deaths.”

* * *

_14 years ago_

_There was a loud crash as a car accident toppled the four door car used by Adrien’s parents for the school run was completely flipped upside down. An 8 year old Adrien and 4 year old Tasha barely managed to crawl out the car intact. But their parents were greviously injured in the crash._

_“Someone help! My mum and dad need help!” Adrien pleaded, only for no passerby to come to their aid. Their parents bled to death as a result of an injury coming off a car crash. _

“Didn’t you hate everyone because no one helped your parents?” Rossweisse wondered.

“I did.” Adrien honestly answered, “I came to a conclusion that because no one would come to our aid, that me and my sister would in return hate everyone else. But that changed a year later.”

* * *

_13 years ago_

_Someone had been tending to Adrien’s parent’s graves. But neither he nor his sister cared given how unfairly they were treated. However, the person that was helping tend to the graves was standing behind them._

_A young Arthur Pendragon of the Pendragon Family, despite his formal clothes being bombarded by a downpour of rain, he was unfazed. “I helped tend to your parents’ graves, we knew them well.” Arthur stated._

_“What does it matter? They’re gone now!” Adrien shouted back, not knowing who the vent his anger at._

_“The Pendragon family will make sure to take care of both of you and tend to your family’s graves.” Arthur vowed firmly. _

_This shook Adrien and Tasha, both collapsed to their knees, their clothes soaking more than the downpour provided. Arthur approached and embraced the two crying siblings whole-heartedly. The two siblings were overwhelmed with joy, for once, someone actually cared for them._

* * *

“If it wasn’t for Arthur Pendragon and Elaine Westcott, we’d still hate everyone to this day.” Adrien explained further, “With the Pendragon family, me and Tasha realised that we didn’t want to hate everyone, we wanted to be there for them in their darkest hours and if need be, put our lives at risk for them.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Rossweisse said, it was best she could do but it seemed like Adrien had gotten past his parents’ deaths.

Due to Adrien and Rossweisse not paying the attention, the two had somehow swapped drinks and what was worse was that Adrien’s was an alcoholic drink.

“Um… Rossweisse?” Adrien asked, hesitant about getting an answer due to her change in demeanour, “We should probably call it quits here.”

“Vhat are you talking about? I’m alight,” she replied, her words slurred into barely recognizable syllables. “I ushed to drink all the thime when I virst started working for that ohld man Ohdin.”

“(Drunk from one mug? No wonder she stuck with the fruit drinks.)” Adrien thought with an awkward look as it became readily apparent that he was on his own in making sure Rossweisse was okay.

“I shwear!” Rossweisse with strength Adrien didn’t expect, hauled him across and into the seat next to her. “You’re the onlee one who ghives me the thime of day. Whorking for Ohdin… he’s the reason I kan’t find a buyfriend.” She immediately started sobbing into his arm, tears staining his sleeve.

Adrien felt horrible, he had a crying Valkyrie leaning on his arm and no one was there to aid him.

“I’m sure it could be much worse.” Adrien said reassuringly.

“I ghave him the bhest yearsh of my life!” she broke down again, his words making things more awkward, “All he hash me doing is fetching his flippers… ME…”

“Let’s get you back home.” Adrien suggested, taking Rossweisse by the hand and carefully guiding her back towards where she lived within Asgard.

_Later on…_

Adrien was escorting Rossweisse back home… one careful step at a time. However, the drunken Valkyrie noticed how tightly he was holding her hand. “Ya know, yer being real clingy right?” Rossweisse pointed, her words remaining slurred.

“Well, I can’t have you wandering off in the state you’re in now, Can I?” Adrien responded, making sure not to let Rossweisse go.

“See, thish is vhat I wanted. You know how to treat a lady right. Don’t change… ever.” Rossweisse said, overly cheerful in her slurred statement. Adrien couldn’t help but blush at the compliment.

“(Don’t let it get to you. People think completely differently when they get drunk.)” Adrien said in his head, scalding himself for letting Rossweisse get to him in this state.

Eventually the two made it to where Rossweisse lived and she pulled out a key. When she tried to put the key in lock, she missed, “Damn it.” She cursed, so she tried again… missed.

“Let me help.” Adrien said, guiding her hand correctly to where the lock was.

Adrien guided Rossweisse towards her bedroom, until he noticed her cheeks involuntarily puff up. You would never see anyone run so fast in your entire life after seeing Adrien move from a bedroom to a bathroom so Rossweisse didn’t empty her insides on him.

“I’m sorr-“ Rossweisse tried to say before starting a round.

“It was my fault, I was careless. So don’t worry about it.” Adrien admitted, holding Rossweisse’s silky, silver hair out of the way.

“Why couldn’t there be more guys li-“ she couldn’t even finish before starting again.

After getting to a point where Rossweisse wasn’t in any immediate danger. Adrien escorted Rossweisse to her bedroom. She took off her tie, jacket and shoes and then suddenly she pulled Adrien into her bed.

“Rossweisse! Wait!” Adrien pleaded, realising where this was going, only for his plea to go unheard.

Not only was Adrien in close proximity to Rossweisse, Not only was he in the same bed as her, as if to make things worse, if he moved his body in any manner, he’d likely be head-first in Rossweisse’s bountiful bosom.

“(Don’t move! Don’t move!)” he repeated in his head, only for Rossweisse to pull him closer anyway, a muffled cry followed.

“Sssh… Someone just needsh someone to give ‘em a snuggle.” Rossweisse said, her words still slightly slurred.

“(This feels nice.)” Adrien thought, being tempted into staying in the same bed as his precious Valkyrie by a scent that was hidden beneath her drunken daze, “(No! Don’t let her get to you! If I stay here, I’m likely to be in serious trouble later on.)”

“Mmmm, perfect buyfriend.” Rossweisse mumbled, having fell asleep tightly wrapped around Adrien with her arms and legs.

“(I’m stuck here!)” Adrien realised, “(Then again, it’s with Rossweisse, so I’m… okay with it.)” with that Adrien eventually succumbed to sleep, both by Rossweisse’s warmth and the distinct but pleasant smell of roses.

** End of Chapter 14 **


	15. A Storm is Brewing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enemies begin making moves while Adrien take a step towards revealing his dark side. But will it come back to haunt him?
> 
> Here is the start of Arc 3- Dark Intentions

Rossweisse woke up with a banging headache and was left in quite the shock when she noticed the extra company in her bedroom. In her bed was none other than Adrien. What made matters worse was that he must have taken his shirt off in the middle of the night because she had a soft hand on his rather impressive abdomen, her mind wandered for a bit as her hand traced the scars he had, including the latest one he received from Mikael.

However, what Rossweisse failed to realise was that Adrien was awake the entire time, his face exacerbated into a crimson blush at her touch.

“ADRIEN!?” Rossweisse screamed, only just realising the situation they was in.

“W-We didn’t do anything! I swear on my life; you just got a bit tipsy and then we ended up sleeping in the same bed! Nothing else happened, I made sure of that.” Adrien let out a sigh after the quick explanation, however he looked down and noticed Rossweisse in a state of undress as the bottom half of her attire had been discarded in the night, leaving her soft, alluring thighs and perfectly sculpted hips exposed.

Adrien was practically steaming red as he toppled off the bed, brain practically fried at how much womanly beauty he just got exposed to. When Rossweisse looked down, she realised her state of undress and quickly scrambled to get some privacy and put her clothes on.

Adrien eventually recovered and did the same thing. Hoping no one caught them so close in the middle of the night, lest they fear foul play. However, it wasn’t Freyja that Adrien feared foul play from…

“BROTHER! WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT THE PERVERSE BEHAVIOUR!” Tasha scalded, not holding back in the slightest.

“I already told you. It’s just a misunderstanding, nothing actually happened.” Adrien said for the umpteenth time.

“This is going to reflect horribly on you, I hope you’re aware of this.” Tasha sternly mentioned.

“Please just give me a break and I can explain how this is all just one big misunderstanding and I did nothing that was actually perverted.” Adrien half-pleaded, “Anyway, what has Michael got you doing this time?”

“Nothing actually. I was coming to visit but someone else came to see you in particular.” Tasha answered, gesturing for someone to come forward.

That person was in fact Xenovia, still garbed in her church attire, she took off the hood on her cloak. “Undefeated Dragon, I have a request for you.” Xenovia started in an extremely polite manner.

“Don’t use the epitaph, it isn’t a formality.” Adrien requested, “Just call me Adrien.”

“Very well.” Xenovia responded, “I request that you allow me to aid in Asgard’s efforts to bring peace.”

“That isn’t something I can just go and say Yes to. But if Lady Freyja says it’s okay, I welcome the company.” Adrien answered.

* * *

_Freyja’s Office_

“So you seek a place to call home?” Freyja assumed, questioning Xenovia as to why she wished to join forces with those of Asgard.

“Indeed. It’s strange, most of my life, the church was my home and I relied on God’s good will to get me through the day, but now I know that he no longer exists. I felt like my life was at a dead end, but then I thought about Adrien’s circumstances, he’s currently a fugitive and despite the risks, you took him in as one of your own.” Xenovia admitted, “I thought, ‘Perhaps, if I follow in his footsteps, I could find a place to belong.”

“A somewhat honourable path you’ve took.” Freyja commented, “I feel you’ve done more than earned our trust, given that you saved Adrien quite a lot of trouble in dispatching of that autonomous army that Mikael had in his back pocket.”

“Still, 200 of those things even while firing Durandal’s power at max is rough to get through.” Xenovia commented, “I also appreciate the opportunity I have been given and I will do my best not to let you down.”

“Adrien, I’d like a word with you in private.” Freyja requested, a somewhat stern tone to her voice.

Everyone else left the office, Thrúd suggesting that she and Xenovia spar with one another just to get a grasp of her skills. When everyone was well out of hearing range, Freyja then asked the million-dollar question.

“According to Vali, you’ve been given power from Ophis yourself. Is this true?” Freyja asked, her tone suggested she wasn’t going to tolerate a lie, meaning Adrien couldn’t dodge the bullet.

He let out a sigh and then answered with, “Pain, Grief, Sadness, Rage. There all quite powerful motives aren’t they milady?”

“What actually drove you to be involved with the Khaos Brigade?” Freyja’s tone was now that of a VERY concerned mother.

“(It hurts that I can’t face the issue with her aid. It really does.)” Adrien thought, mouthing a curse word before answering, “You’d have to see a side of me that would break your heart to see. I’d sooner not take the chance.”

“I’m worried about you. I really am.” Freyja said, hoping that some part of Adrien would say yes, and she’d get answers to the questions pulling at her heartstrings.

“I know you are… that’s why it’s so painful for me to say No.” Adrien replied firmly, he then went to left the room, no longer wishing to talk about what had just been mentioned. Only Freyja pulled him into a motherly embrace, his face unfortunately found itself in her bountiful bosom, leaving his face flush with a shade of crimson.

“Please, just help me alleviate what pains you. Thrúd tells me of something dark seeping through the cracks and she just wants to know if you’re okay.” Freyja explained, releasing Adrien from the short but soothing embrace.

“If I tell you EXACTLY what happened during the Tyrant Massacre, you’ll have to swear upon everything that you are or ever will be NOT to tell ANYONE else, not even the Allfather, Thrúd, Rossweisse. Hell, not even your own family.” Adrien stated firmly, “Am I making myself clear?”

“I swear upon my position in Asgard and all I ever am that this will stay secret and none shall find out.” Freyja with queenly attitude responded.

“Then here we go…”

* * *

_Later on In the courtyard…_

Being here in the courtyard, monitoring Xenovia’s training with Thrúd, which was as grueling as training with a relative of Thor should be. Xenovia’s ability with Durandal was most impressive, but it wasn’t matching up well with Thrúd’s god-given abilities with her axe was nostalgic for Adrien, he was once there, although he faired far better than Xenovia was.

“You aren’t training Xenovia yourself?” Tasha questioned.

“They’ll learn better from one another, understand each other’s style of combat and adapt based on that understanding.” Adrien explained

“What about Rossweisse?” Tasha mentioned, hitting a certain soft spot in her brother’s heart.

“I… wouldn’t want to interfere with her work.” Adrien hesitantly answered, “She’s seems to be a better spellcaster than someone who works close up like myself.”

“It’s clear your infatuated by her… why not strike a conversation about it?” Tasha pointed out, a blush appearing in full on Adrien’s face.

“I… honestly wish I didn’t have to involve anyone here in the matter regarding my brother. I honestly was trying to keep quiet about it while I was on the run but when I was caught, I simultaneously got them dragged into it.” Adrien replied, avoiding the question Tasha brought up.

* * *

_Undisclosed Location, Underworld_

A man who wore a cape with a refined design imprinted on it that acted in a manner like that of a nobleman was perched on what appeared to be a castle tower. “So, you defeated the [Lord of the Land] my dear brother. You’ve exceeded my expectations, but you are still not of the caliber of a true King.”

“What is it someone as lowly as you wanted?” someone with some sort of superiority-complex asked, not hesitating to insult the man before them.

“Now your place Loki.” The man commanded, an intense pressure surrounding him causing Loki to back away in fear.

“W-What would be the next move?” Loki said, actually fearful of the human before him. 

“For the time-being, we wait… After all, that curse you embedded into [Zahhak’s Madness] is a complex one and has certain pre-requisites for its activation which I suppose could be when the [Balance Breaker] is activated for the first time or something else, it’s hard to judge it.” The man answered, “I assure you, there will be Ragnarok. But we can’t rush these things. They require a lot of delicacy and time to guarantee they go according to plan.” The man then went into a deep thought.

* * *

_5 Years ago, shortly before the [Tyrant Massacre]_

_“So, Emmanuel, today is the day we annihilate our enemies and demonstrate that we are done getting whipped by those who claim to be above us.” Adrien announced. _

_“Indeed, it is brother… indeed it is.” Emmanuel replied, “I can’t help but wonder if my [**Divine-Beast Tachyon**] will be able to cooperate with your [**True** **Ouroboros**].” He then grinned in the same way a maniac would, soon after drawing the golden blade and heading out to cause khaos._

* * *

_Present Day_

“Actually Loki, get in touch with Shera, tell her it’s her turn to step into the fray.” Emmanuel instructed.

“If you insist.” Loki responded, leaving the castle.

“You had better prepare yourself Adrien. Your next battle is one on two fronts.” Emmanuel warned, “I do wonder how you’ll prepare yourself to fight them while also stopping Ragnarok.”


	16. Line in the Sand of Ideals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien reveals details of a trusted friend on the wrong side of the spectrum. Despite the tension rising in the wake of the Khaos Brigade's movements, Sirzechs make a play to possibly cripple the enemy movements.

_Underworld_

Koneko had disappeared rather mysteriously with little to no word. Rias and Issei had gone to investigate only to be locked into fierce combat with Kuroka, a dangerous stray devil nekoshou and Bikou the current descendant of Sun Wukong. Thankfully, Tannin had gotten involved to grab the attention of Bikou, allowing Rias and Issei to try defeating Kuroka.

“These guys are a serious pain.” Issei cursed, while he could successfully activate his Balance Breaker, timing was key.

“I won’t leave without Koneko.” Rias vowed.

“Then you’ll have to die for it.” Kuroka said coldly, sending a toxic mist towards Issei and Rias, the latter was heavily affected by the mist where as Issei seemed resistant to it.

“(Damn it, we’re getting our asses handed to us here.)” Issei cursed, of course Vali would have powerful allies, it wouldn’t make sense for him not to, “(If only I had trained more with Adrien, I’d have the Balance Breaker on lockdown by now.)”

* * *

_Freyja’s Office, Asgard_

Freyja was handling letters regarding peace agreements; however a certain letter caught her eye. It appeared to be one of high importance, with a seal specifically telling that it was for Adrien’s eyes only.

“Adrien, this one appears to be for you specifically.” Freyja pointed out, handing her personal guard the letter. Upon opening it and unfolding the letter, he knew who it was from.

“Dear Adrien. It’s unfortunately been too long since I could actually get a letter to you. But given our respective affiliates, we can’t exactly just go out and meet in a bar now can we? As your aware, I am affiliated with the Khaos Brigade, specifically a team constructed by Vali for reasons he has yet to disclose to me. But we aren’t involved with those of the Old Satan Faction or other groups, we’ve just gathered to use our power. You know of Le Fay, don’t you? My younger sister. She’s been constantly asking when we’ll get to see you again, and I unfortunately can never bring myself to answer, knowing either of us could die before we are reunited. At the moment, I’m simply making sure our more… rowdy teammates don’t get out of hand. I trust you will remain in good health. Kind Regards, Arthur Pendragon.”

“Le Fay… Arthur…” Adrien muttered, Freyja couldn’t even hear what he was saying, “I’ll be heading to the underworld. Alone…”

“What is it this time?” Freyja pondered; Adrien had received multiple of these clandestine letters of importance, but he had refrained from speaking about them.

“A couple of people I consider family on the wrong side of the spectrum. I’m just going to make sure no one raises a hand to harm them.” Adrien said, quickly departing before he could be held back.

* * *

_Underworld_

Issei had just activated his Balance Breaker again, although he used a rather… questionable method to do so, involving his perverted desires… and Rias. He had stepped his foot down with Kuroka, his fist mere inches from her face. “Try harming Koneko again. See what happens.” Issei taunted, clad in his red scale mail.

“You little bitch!” Kuroka cursed, stepping back about to attack only for a golden portal to appear behind her as if someone cut through space itself to create it. From the portal stepped a man in a refined attire who wore glasses and carried what appeared to be an immensely powerful holy sword.

“[Partner be careful. That man carries the strongest Holy Sword in existence.]” Ddraig warned.

At the same time as the man with the strongest holy sword appeared, Adrien showed up, Ouroboros drawn but not invoked. “Wait, Adrien? What are you doing here?”

“It’s certainly been a long time Adrien. Although, you know I would have preferred it under different circumstances.” The man with the glasses greeted.

“Too long Arthur, Too long.” Adrien said, “Things were awkward from the point you had to flee home to make sure Elaine was unharmed.”

“Wait you two know one another?” Rias was left completely confused as she looked on at the situation before her.

“Let me make myself clear Rias.” Adrien started, “Raise a hand to harm Arthur and you immediately make an enemy out of me. We share a brotherhood that not even the strongest possible alliance can match up to. We made a vow when we were children to look out for one another and I refuse to break it, regardless of whether he is with the Khaos Brigade or not.”

“And you’d become a fugitive on the run again to protect him?” Rias questioned.

“Without hesitation, IF you make any sort of attempt on his life. Leave him be, I’ll play ball.” Adrien stated.

“I’ve clearly overstayed my welcome. Now then, Kuroka, Bikou… I believe Vali needed to speak to you… Now.” Arthur said, ending with a very stern tone as he dragged Kuroka and Bikou through a portal behind him.

“Tell Le Fay I give her my regards.” Adrien said, leaving the scene himself.

“I will.” Arthur replied, leaving with his allies in tow.

* * *

_Conference Room, Lucifaad, Underworld_

In the light of attacks by the Khaos Brigade. The Young Devils Gathering had to be postponed. Sirzechs, Serafall, Shemhazai and Azazel were gathered around a table in a conference room.

“The Descendant of Sun Wukong, ‘Bikou’, the stray devil-nekomata ‘Kuroka’ and a man wielding the Holy King Sword [Collbrande].” Shemhazai listed, “Each represents a sizeable threat on their own, so a team of three would prove devastating. Not to mention the Undefeated Dragon is connected to the one who wield [Collbrande]”

“(Geez the scolding never stops once Shemhazai gets started.)” Azazel thought to himself, “(But Issei achieving his [Balance Breaker] was a happy accident, bet he really enjoyed it.)”

Azazel then chuckled, causing Shemhazai to glare at him, “What’s so funny?”

“Thinking something clever, perhaps?” suggested the voice of someone familiar to Azazel. An old man with Adrien in tow arrived.

“Hey!” Azazel cheered happily, “Long time no see, you old bumpkin from the north.”

“You aren’t faring any better yourself Azazel. The beard needs improvement.” Odin stated.

“Hah! Yet I can at least get around without a maid at my side. Although it is a nice touch.” Azazel jested.

“Good to see you, God of the North, Lord Odin.” Sirzechs greeted politely.

“Sirzechs, I received your invitation to watch this upcoming Rating Game.” Odin replied, “But I hear you’re having trouble with the Old Satan Faction and the White Dragon Emperor. If he’s with those terrorists, the whole world is in danger.”

“Fortunately from what I’ve gathered, Vali seems to have little regard for what happens to the Old Satan Faction, so I doubt we’re dealing with a crisis.” Adrien pointed out, “Arthur told me himself.”

“Speaking of which.” Shemhazai spoke up sternly, “If what I’ve heard is correct. This Arthur and you swore some kind of oath a long time ago correct?”

“Yes and it still stands to this day.” Adrien stated firmly.

“Then allow me to grant you an ultimatum.” Shemhazai started, “You’re Lucky To Be With Asgard. Without Them, You’d Be Long Gone. There will also be a time where you will have to pick between this petty oath and your own morals. Can you be trusted to make that decision?”

“Want to put that claim to the test Shemhazai? We can take this outside right now if you want.” Adrien threatened, no tolerance towards Shemhazai’s concealed threat, even with leaders from different powers gathered.

“Now isn’t the time for infighting.” Sirzechs warned.

“You seem to be doing well for yourself, Lord Odin.” Serafall said with a chipper voice, quickly moving away from the tense environment.

“What are you doing?” Adrien asked in disbelief as Serafall was wearing her pink costume that Adrien had seen when Serafall was at the Open House at Kuoh Academy.

““Don’t you know?” Serafall asked, “I’m a magical girl.”

“How in the seven hells are you a devil king?” Adrien asked, in what seemed to be complete and total disbelief.

“Not bad I must say.” Odin said, with lecherous thoughts in mind, “Not bad at all.”

“Enough of that indecency, Lord Odin!” a young woman who appeared to be a Valkyrie.

“So stuffy that one, that’s why she’ll never make a proper warrior.” Odin said in response.

Thankfully no one had noticed but Adrien couldn’t help but look in awe at the Rossweisse as she arrived. “(Words can never seem to describe just how beautiful she is.) Adrien thought, but before anyone took notice, he quickly shook himself from his thoughts and dusted himself off.

“Sorry this is my attendant.” Odin apologised on his attendant’s behalf.

“Apologies for being late. I am the Valkyrie, Rossweisse.” Rossweisse politely introduced herself.

“She’s got looks and talent, but that stuffy attitude keeps the men away.” Odin mentioned, causing Rossweisse to get upset and go to one-side of the conference and begin fidgeting.

“I-I’m a Valkyrie who’s been without a man as long as I’ve lived.” Rossweisse reminded herself before mumbling, “Even though I really wished I had a boyfriend.”

Adrien stood looking at Rossweisse, not being able to fight back the slight blush at the mention of boyfriend, she had once referred to him as a ‘Perfect Boyfriend’, granted she was drunk, and her words were slurred but it was still stuck in his psyche. “(I wish I could just tell her how I feel. Then she’d have a boyfriend and she’d be happy.)”

Odin seemed to look like he was focused on the plans in regard to dealing with the Khaos Brigade but he was out of the corner of his one eye paying attention to the behaviour of Freyja’s personal guard, who was tasked with aiding Odin at the summit despite the fact his main job was to guard her life, but she insisted that she had more than enough Valkyries, including Thrúd to protect her, Xenovia even volunteered as a temporary replacement while Adrien was out on business.

“(If that young man didn’t have such a shadowed past, he’d have a harem to make the gods envious.)” Odin said to himself, inwardly cringing at the fact that Adrien hadn’t just been out with his feelings towards the Allfather’s bodyguard.

“Sirzechs, Serafall. I hear your siblings are going to be fighting one another. Just the kind of behaviour I’d expect from devils.” Odin mentioned, “Never mind that though, I’m here to see the Rating Game.”

“There is no hope for our future if my sister is unable to win this Rating Game.” Sirzechs stated, with a determined look on his face, having the utmost confidence in his sister’s chances at victory.

“Well too bad, because my little Sona is about to win.” Serafall replied with the same fierce determination, having the same level of confidence in Sona’s chances of victory.

“Take it easy, you old coot.” Azazel advised waving his farewells to everyone, “You finish up here Shemhazai. I’ve got a meeting.”

“Understood.” Shemhazai replied.

“Those brats and their spectacle… it should be entertaining.” Odin said, with a smug grin while looking at Azazel out of the corner of his eye.

“Heh, probably.” Azazel responded with a smug grin of his own.

“Adrien, I have a job that will require your expertise.” Sirzechs spoke up, “It is something best done alone, given the risks behind it.”


	17. Time Better Spent Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien heads out on a mission to try and prove Diodora's suspected involvement with the Khaos Brigade. In the meantime, Issei attempts to use the full extent of his power.

“What’s the job?” Adrien asked without hesitation.

“We need to confirm intel regarding the mystery behind the death of the heir to the Glasya-Labolas family.” Sirzechs began explaining, revealing a file with a certain young devil on one of the first few pages, “We believe that Diodora Astaroth may have been involved in carrying it out, using a snake from Ophis to pull it off. It’s highly like he may have plans to pick off other competition as well.”

“So its recon.” Adrien said, casually reading through the file, “Let’s see, High-Ranking Devil, from the same household as the current Beelzebub. Socially-awkward. He was the last person to see the Glasya-Labolas heir.”

“So what do you think?” Sirzechs questioned, “Would you know where to look?”

“I can get the details. About Diodora, am I bringing him in dead or alive?” Adrien asked, closing the file.

“Preferably alive, if all else fails, then you know what to do.” Sirzechs instructed.

“One more thing. Ajuka is a bit of a tech genius right? If possible, I want him to make a device, approximately the size of a coin, to be used as a motion sensor but it needs to be subtle.” Adrien requested, “I’ll need to know when he shows up and where from.”

“I’ll put Ajuka to it immediately. It should be a relatively small task.” Sirzechs responded.

Adrien went over to Rossweisse, noticing the concern look on her face, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I know how you feel. I don’t want us to be separated but this something only I can do. Don’t worry, I’ll be back no problem. He has to use Ophis’ snake to try and exceed High-class devil power, he can’t kill me.”

“Just be careful.” Rossweisse said, her worrying only lifting slightly.

* * *

_Sometime later…_

_Undisclosed Location, Underworld_

“What are the plans going forward? Those foolish imposter Devil Kings are still around all because of some human?!” Creuserey Asmodeus, the descendant of the original Devil King Asmodeus ranted, bearing the scars of his previous encounter with Tasha.

“This human could prove to be a complication but nothing more. We are the rightful possessors of the Devil King titles and if we can’t take them through words, we’re going to have to use action, but we need to look for an opportunity to strike rather than just attack in mass.” Shalba Beelzebub responded, he was the Devil King descendant of the original Devil King Beelzebub.

“Perhaps I could be of use.” The person Adrien was investigating said, appearing from the shadows just in time, “I’m likely to have a Rating Game against the very devils you despite the most. I could even get that human that bothers you out of the way, was his name Adrien Freeman by any chance?”

“That’s him, yes. Deal with him and make it look like an accident. Leaving nothing to imply that you were involved.” Shalba commanded. “(Imposter Devil Kings, your time ruling the Underworld will soon end, we will rightfully take what was always ours.)”

Shortly after that meeting, Adrien chose to hide for a moment within a small, abandoned hideout that he had procured while he was a fugitive, something hidden but well in sight. He was sat at a windowsill glancing out of an open window, looking at the landscape in front of him.

Adrien was also wearing a different attire than normal. It consisted of a smart shirt, black trenchcoat, jeans, trainers and a black baseball cap atop his head, tipped downwards to hide his face. Ouroboros was still at his side should he need it.

Then he heard a subtle beeping, it came from a special wristwatch that Ajuka had provided as a means of identifying when the motion sensor Adrien had setup under a random cupboard had detected someone approaching the perimeter.

“For you to head my way… Diodora Astaroth.” Adrien stated. Face-to-face with the current heir of the Astaroth family.

“So, you know of the great Diodora Astaroth? Saviour of women all over the world.” Diodora proudly stated, a statement that proved to be his verbal undoing.

As much as Adrien tried holding back a short laugh, it still slipped past but afterward he responded with, “Oh that? Not really what I heard, but to each their own.”

“Oh?” Diodora said, “(He’s harder to convince than I thought.)

“If memory serves to be correct, your Peerage consists solely of nuns or maidens from churches all over the world.” Adrien pointed out to which Diodora nodded to confirm, “But their aligned with the church so conventional methods wouldn’t work, so let’s see. It seems like you must have lured them into a false sense of security with things like ‘Fear not lovely maiden, for I, the great Diodora Astaroth am here to save the day’ or something like that.” Adrien even went as far to go for a mock impersonation of the heir to the Astaroth family.

Diodora gritted his teeth, silently cursing the person across from him, Adrien continued his deduction of the devil across from him. “Then after you’ve got them feeding out of the palm of your hand… You wouldn’t happened to have… oh I dunno, attacked their innocence in anyway… would you?”

“Does it matter? I mean why would a human take interest in what a devil does?” Diodora questioned in response, a smug smile of supposed victory.

“In hindsight, it’s none of my business, but you never denied those claims… Did You?” Adrien pointed out, judging by Diodora’s growing frustration, what Adrien accused him of was true, “Now onto the more important matter, the death of the Glasya-Labolas heir.”

“Don’t you know that it was an accident?” Diodora asked, wondering of the intellect of the human before him.

“But was it? I mean multiple people say that **you **were the last person who saw them, weren’t you?” Adrien questioned. However, Diodora firmly stayed silent, “Also, the amount of aura that I sense is greater than what you should have, Rias is an exception due to her bloodline, but your case isn’t the same. You used Ophis’ snake to kill the heir of the Glasya-Labolas family.”

“So, you figured me out? Too bad, you’ll still die before information can get relayed.” Diodora declared, conjuring a large number of blades to launch at Adrien.

“[Sealed Fate]” Adrien uttered, releasing a black aura that rendered the conjuration spell useless.

“Curse you! You’re just a human, you shouldn’t have any chance against a high-ranking devil like myself!” Diodora arrogantly ranted.

“Maybe if you’d stop sticking it to holy-maidens and nuns, you’d have realised I am one of guys involved in the [Tyrant Massacre] and I could run you through with little to no effort at all.” Adrien stated bluntly, upon that realisation, Diodora ran out the building.

What Adrien hadn’t caught onto, due to the motion sensor being specifically built to find Diodora, was that Diodora’s entire peerage had gathered around the hideout, placing a powerful barrier around it to stop Adrien from getting Diodora.

“So that’s their plan, not target me directly but keep me in one place so Diodora could plan ahead.” Adrien realised, he unleashed Sealed Fate again only in a massive burst, the red and black aura dispelling the barrier as the members of Diodora’s peerage got away.

After a chuckle, Adrien said to himself, “That was different. Suppose I should get back to Sirzechs.”

* * *

_Underworld_

Issei had used a strange, telepathic technique to try and figure out what Sona was planning so Rias could end up winning the rating game, however when a certain someone figured out what triggered it, he was far from happy.

“This is what I come back too. Issei using telepathy to talk to a woman’s breasts?” Adrien asked, just arriving in time to see Issei’s latest perverse technique.

“Yep, that’s Issei’s wildcard it seems.” Azazel said, on the inside feeling quite proud of what Issei’s latest trick was.

After a **very **annoyed sigh, Adrien turned to Sirzechs. “Diodora’s with the Old Satan Faction, although I doubt they have a mutual relationship, they probably have completely different goals. Although, one thing I can say for certain is he did kill the Glasya-Labolas heir. He used Ophis’ snake to pull it off, otherwise he wouldn’t have the power to do so.”

“I was suspicious of the amount of power he had. A pity that an heir to one of the more well-known devil families is with the Khaos Brigade.” Sirzechs stated, “Would you like to stay and watch?”

“No, I’m disappointed in his ability as the Red Dragon Emperor.” Adrien said in a displeased tone, “As far as [Dress Break] and whatever that telepathy spell is, it seems more like he’s disrespecting every previous wielder of the Boosted Gear. That’s what annoys me about him.”

As Adrien began walking away with a frown on his face, he heard three announcements.

“One of Rias Gremory’s [Bishops] have retired.”

“One of Sona Sitri’s [Bishops] have retired.”

“One of Rias Gremory’s [Pawns] have retired.”

“(You really are the weakest Red Dragon Emperor. Issei Hyoudou, you should be ashamed.)” Adrien thought, disappearing in a red flash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about another random hiatus (Let the record show I'm not doing this intentionally.). But i guess the more important part is that I'm back and uploading chapters.


	18. Adrien vs. Issei, A Clash of Ideals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Issei and Adrien clash in a test of ideals. But even though Adrien was reunited with those close to him, things in the Underworld hadn't quite cooled down.

_Undisclosed Location_

Adrien had requested that Issei face him with his Balance Breaker. Rias and the rest of her peerage were welcome to watch but he didn’t care either way. “So why bring us all the way out here anyway?”

“I was wanting to see Issei do some serious damage. None of Sona Sitri’s peerage have Balance Breakers, that should’ve been decisive.” Adrien stated.

“I got outsmarted. Sona’s literally the smartest person in Kuoh, period.” Issei replied.

“I could outsmart Sona despite the fact with a book and pen she can run circles around me.” Adrien mention.

“So what are you going to do to help him?” Rias wondered.

“Simple, when Issei works for it, he can go places. I want to see how far he can go, Personally.” Adrien answered, donning Ouroboros’ Balance Breaker in the process.

Issei immediately readied the Boosted Gear, “May I?” he asked.

“Yes.” Rias said, confident her [Pawn] would do well.

[WELSH DRAGON BALANCE BREAKER]

Issei clad in the Boosted Gear’s Scale Mail took up a fighting stance, waiting to see what Adrien would do. However, the moment Adrien made his move, Issei wound up floored and had to quickly evade a downward slash.

“Promotion to Knight” Issei decided he’d match speed with speed and hope to keep up. If anything, his Promotion to Knight would keep him from being in danger by allowing the possibility for him to evade attacks but he couldn’t do much else.

“Running won’t get you anywhere!” Adrien taunted, appearing behind Issei, kicking him in the ribs, making Issei cough up blood.

“That was brutal.” Koneko stated simply.

“How is it you even managed to cut off Rias’ marriage to Riser when you can barely take care of yourself?” Adrien derided, trying to rile up Issei.

“Shut the fuck up!” Issei spat, swinging a backhand towards Adrien who ducked and elbowed him in the back of the head.

“Tell me Issei. What’s your ideal?” Adrien asked.

“Become Harem King as well as be a devil that I can be proud of.” Issei answered.

“Then demonstrate to me how far you’ll go for that goal.” Adrien instructed.

Issei with a renewed sense of audacity, charged straight at Adrien, he fired a Dragon Shot at point blank range, denting the chest piece of the armor. He then threw a headbutt, scoring a direct hit, then two kicks to the ribs to follow.

“Come on! Try harder! Otherwise, you’re as good as dead when the Khaos Brigade strikes.” Adrien encouraged, he could see Issei was going somewhere, Adrien just had to know that it was the right place. 

Then came a barrage of punches, which Adrien blocked, then he swung a punch of his own, which Issei saw coming, weaved past it and got a solid punch across the face, but it was far from over.

“What about your ideal?” Issei wondered, “Surely you have a goal as well.”

“Simple, I may not have been able to stop the Tyrant Massacre, but I’ll sure as hell make sure history doesn’t repeat itself… and I’ll make sure people with Sacred Gears never have to suffer again.” Adrien vowed, charging towards Issei attempting to cut the man down, “Look at yourself! You died because of the Boosted Gear, Asia died because of Twilight Healing, Kiba died because of Sword Birth as well as the Excalibur Project and Gasper died because of Forbidden Balor View along with his mixed heritage. See the trend? Those of us with Sacred Gears aren’t long for this world and I know a Sacred Gear alone won’t be enough to change it, hence the creation of Abnormal Gears, one step above Sacred Gears and a necessary evil to make sure disaster doesn’t strike twice.”

“Now that we have our baggage out the way. Come and get some.” Issei goaded, a surge of confidence as he readied a fighting stance.

This was when the fighting REALLY kicked in. Slashes parried and punches blocked. These two who had Sacred Gears at one point or another, were now barraging one another with vicious attacks. Issei’s Scale Mail being cut open, showing minor cuts which bled small amounts of blood, Ouroboros’ armor denting and cracking under the powerful strikes Issei was sending at Adrien.

“Are Sacred Gears really that much of a curse if this had to happen?” Asia wondered looking down the beautiful rings she wore, this was Twilight Healing, her Sacred Gear that made her a target for Raynare, “I thought the God of the Bible made the Sacred Gears special.”

“I think it comes down to what you believe Asia. If what Tasha told me is true then long before she was born, it was practically impossible for Adrien to even function normally because of having a Sacred Gear.” Rias replied, “But still, for a Sacred Gear to reject its host. Wouldn’t that alone kill the user?”

“It was made clear with Asia that trying to remove the Sacred Gear kills the host. Yet Azazel managed to safely remove the one tied to Adrien without him being harmed in the slightest.” Akeno mentioned, “I wonder if removing Sacred Gears was perhaps apart of Azazel’s research, maybe safely removing them should things get out of hand.”

“[Dragon Shot]” Issei sent out a massive blast of draconic energy, perhaps a hopeful finishing move. Adrien was more than prepared for it.

“[Heavy Caliber]” Adrien was now perceiving time at a slower rate, he stepped past the blast and then as time began to fast forward, he delivered a decisive finishing blow to Issei, cutting apart his Scale Mail, leaving him littered with injuries, “He’ll live, I didn’t cut deep.” Adrien informed after.

As Rias and the rest of the peerage approached a beaten down Issei, Adrien had a conclusion, “I’m satisfied. Fight like that in EVERY battle Issei and you’ll go to the moon and back. You have the potential to be on the same level as me. I want to see you get there and then fight you. I’m sure Vali feels the same way.”

“Still…” Issei started, exhausted from the battering he took, “I’ll need… your help… figuring out the Boosted Gear’s tricks.”

“I’m more than willing to help you master it, just evade your own perversion and we’ll have room to work with.” Adrien advised, leaving the scene afterwards.

* * *

_Asgard_

Now that any business in the Underworld was dealt with, Adrien could return to Asgard and he was more than happy to be back. Rossweisse didn’t hesitate to embrace him upon his return. “Thank goodness you’re back. I couldn’t help but worry.”

“Sorry if I took longer.” Adrien said apologetically, “I had something I needed to clear up but now that everything has been sorted. I’d like for us to be able to spend time together.”

“Unfortunately, we’ve been called in as backup. The Devil Kings seem to think that Diodora is planning on making a move during his Rating Game with Rias.” Rossweisse informed.

“Given Rias’ lower numbers… she’ll be done in if Diodora pulls this off.” Adrien concluded.

“Freyja will be taking part in this plan, me, you and Thrúd will be aiding her.” Rossweisse explained, “Xenovia said she was experimenting with a technique she was polishing so it seems she is occupied.”

“Let her have as much training time as possible. That way she can catch up with the rest of us.” Adrien suggested.

“No need Chief.” Xenovia stated, more than eager to join the fray, “I owe it to Asia to make sure she is safe. I said some truly horrible things to her, and I intend on making up for them.”

“Then we leave upon Freyja’s command.” Adrien stated, “(Don’t disappoint me Issei, I know you have what it takes… the hunger to win, I know because I have it too.)”


	19. Putting the Plan into Motion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both sides set a plan into motion, but it appears that an outside element has decided to join the fray. But who could it be?

_Azazel’s House_

Late at night, Azazel was sat with a wine-glass in hand, wearing a grey kimono. “Sorry to call you at this time Sirzechs. I wanted to talk to you about the death of the previous Glasya-Labolas heir and the sudden increased in Diodora’s power.” He said, using a spell to communicate telepathically.

“Sorry to not have informed you of Adrien’s findings.” Sirzechs replied, being the recipient of Azazel’s call.

“I was about to actually speak to Azazel about the findings.” Adrien said, also joining in.

“Coupled with what Adrien gathered as well as a warning Issei received from Vali. It seems they aren’t as unified as we originally thought.” Sirzechs stated, “Seeing as we have no other option, we’ll have to set our plan into motion.”

“Good, Michael and the old man Odin are on board with this as well. Although, I wished we didn’t have to use those kids this way.”

* * *

_Later on… _

In the Occult Research Club, Azazel had Adrien and his team and Irina gathered in the room the ORC usually had meeting. “While Tasha is a part of Adrien’s team, I’m aiding as a request from Lord Michael.”

To most people’s surprise Irina had become a reincarnated Angel serving under Michael as his ‘Ace’, the Angels using a Brave Saints system that functioned like a deck of cards, its origin linking back to the Evil Pieces the devils used.

“I do wonder why our involvement is supposed to be secret.” Rossweisse pondered.

“If nothing happens, we showed up to cheer our friends on. If something does happen, we’ll be there to stop it from getting out of hand.” Azazel explained.

* * *

_Somewhere in the Underworld_

“How did I end up so far away from where the ambush was?” Katerea Leviathan wondered.

“That would be me.” A voice answered.

A young man arrived, someone who was perhaps the same age as Issei was. Dull blonde, spiky hair and green eyes with a sharp glare. He was dressed in something akin to a military uniform, yet it held not distinct means of showing who he was aligned with, its colors consisted of black, red and blue. At his side was an emerald longsword in an ornate silver scabbard.

“Who would you be?” Katerea questioned, not seeing the face of her supposed enemy before.

“No one in particular. I’m just a nameless guy making sure your plan fails.” The nameless man answered.

“You really think a human can stand up to one of descendants of the four original devil kings.” Katerea taunted.

“No, but I’m willing to try anyway.” the nameless man answered honestly, donning a serious expression, he drew the emerald blade and slashed horizontally at the air as he recited a command, “Roar Thunderously and become the legend! O protector of fairies. Become the banner of a great enemy. Cuelebre’s Wall!”

The man had an Abnormal Gear, with a Balance Breaker as well. It was a beautiful emerald dragon armor woven around the man’s lean frame like it had been molded to his very being. The emerald longsword changed slightly, appearing somewhat segmented. The nameless man made the first move, the blade becoming a sharpened whip that he sent barrelling towards Katerea Leviathan.

* * *

_At the Rating Game_

Rias and her Peerage came under attack from the Old Satan Faction, with Diodora having Asia hostage.

“What do you think you’re doing with her?” Issei asked, wanting to slam a right hook into Diodora’s smug face there and then but with Asia in the way, that was out of the question.

All Diodora did was laugh in response, teleporting away with Asia in his grasp. Issei punched the ground, his anger was goading him to venting the Sacred Gear’s power straight in Diodora’s direction, Raynare was one thing but Diodora had stepped across an entirely different boundary.

“Hey Issei! Focus on the enemies in front of us. Then Diodora’s all yours.” Kiba called, readying his Sword of the Betrayer.

Suddenly, a flurry of red slashes littered the devils associated with the Old Satan Faction as hundreds were cut to ribbons instantly. “Azazel, Diodora booked it with Asia.” Adrien telepathically noted.

“Well that changes things.” Azazel stated, “In that case, provide a clear path to Diodora and let those kids rampage their hearts out.”

“It seems Azazel’s plan worked out as he said.” Freyja stated, arriving in her own Valkyrie armor, it was predominantly silver but has black and red portions to it, giving a terrifying and powerful visage that even had Adrien fearful at her presence. “You should head further up and rescue your friend.”

“Send ‘em.” Adrien commanded, suddenly a massive barrage of magic hailed down from the sky, pelting the Old Satan Faction devils as their numbers dropped drastically, “Xenovia, clear the way for them. Tasha, support Xenovia, as for the rest, handle the rest of the Khaos Brigade.”

At Adrien’s command, Xenovia, Tasha, Thrúd and Rossweisse sprang into action. Freyja drew a sword and channelled Norse magic into it, she then sent that magic towards a large contingent of Old Satan Faction devils, wiping them out immediately.

“Lady Freyja, we appreciate your generous offer and will return it someday.” Rias said in a polite manner.

* * *

_On their way to Diodora_

“Azazel! What the hell?!” Issei ranted, clearly not happy at being used a bait for Azazel’s plan.

“Diodora was already paranoid after his little scuffle with Adrien. We couldn’t have any possibility of him finding out our plan.” Azazel explained, “If you want to take your anger out on me afterwards, then my life is forfeit.”

“Well… Damn.” Was Issei’s short response.

“Look, we sprang ambushes across the majority of the Rating Game field. We’ll deal with the Khaos Brigade while you teach that backstabbing son of a bitch what it means to be the Red Dragon Emperor. Also make sure you pop him once in the mouth for me.”

“Hell yeah! It’s a done deal!” Issei said, focusing on dealing with Diodora.


	20. Playing the Game of Chess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fighting begins to escalate on all fronts while Issei awakens a dark power. Will he be too far gone, or will things turn out okay?

Katerea Leviathan’s opponent was proving extremely troublesome, on multiple occasions she nearly lost her head due to the bizarre nature of this Abnormal Gear’s form. When Katerea unleashed her aura that was infused with a snake from Ophis, the nameless man in front of her used his Abnormal Gear to release a bizarre smoke with electrical properties to it that possessed the ability to divert her attack, the demonic blast warped around the smoke and safely out of harm’s way.

“What was that?” Katerea wondered, never having seen anything remotely close to the bizarre smokescreen that was used just now.

“Oh this? One of the signature techniques of my Abnormal Gear, because it specialises in countering physical attacks, I devised a means to safely evade magic attacks.” The nameless man explained. He had received more injuries that Katerea did, but she hadn’t got off from the fighting completely free.

“It’s something I’m sure has a limit. There’s only so much you can do now.” Katerea taunted, sending a bombardment of her demonic power towards her foe.

* * *

_Elsewhere on the battlefield…_

Xenovia was dealing with the oncoming horde of Old Satan Factions with Tasha in support. However, a familiar foe in the form of Creuserey Asmodeus ambushed Tasha, “Xenovia, keep pushing forward. I’ll handle Creuserey.”

“Please be careful. We don’t need a second crisis on our hands.” Xenovia warned, cleaving through a group of Old Satan Factions, allowing Rias and her peerage to continue unscathed.

“You’ll pay for your disrespect towards THE TRUE RULERS OF THE UNDERWORLD!” Creuserey belligerently yelled. He was still missing his right eye and still had the burn marks from his previous encounter with Tasha.

When Xenovia saw Sirzechs coming to intervene, she focused on making sure Rias and her team had room to work with.

“Your time has passed already. You should accept that.” Tasha said, determined to once again defeat the descendant of the original Asmodeus.

_With Rias and co._

After a struggle against Diodora’s peerage and a surprise appearance from Freed, who was quickly cut down by Kiba. Rias and her peerage were now face to face with Diodora Astaroth, with Asia tied to some bizarre device that restrained her.

“Diodora Astaroth!” Rias called out in spite.

“I can never get enough of when a woman of the Church is left in despair.” Diodora said, a look of glee on his face, ”You do remember Raynare, don’t you?”

At the mention of Raynare, Issei could feel his heart hammering against his chest, while something in the back of his mind was talking to him, “Unleash it! The Dragon of Domination.” The ghostly voice told him.

“After Raynare killed Asia, I was going to kill Raynare and give Asia an Evil Piece. But of course, some weak devil dealt with Raynare while Rias snatched up Asia.” Diodora explained.

“You were behind Asia’s pain all along.” Rias realised.

“I should thank you. I’ll be able to drop Asia further into despair than ever before.” Diodora’s sadistic was given form in front of Rias and her peerage through his words, Issei however had remained motionless, simply standing with the Boosted Gear at the ready, “All I have to do is kill all of you in front of her very eyes. By the way, Asia is still a virgin right?”

At that last question, Issei’s Boosted Gear’s green gem began to blink, his heartbeat increased to match it.

“I’d rather not have the Red Dragon Emperor’s sloppy seconds.” Diodora continued, adding fuel to the fire, the hammering in Issei’s chest quicken at the same pace at the Boosted Gear’s power building up, “Then again, I am fond of the idea of stealing her away from you.”

Issei’s soul the entire time was readying itself… readying itself for something massive.

“Our own custom virgin, a Prima Nocta” Diodora taunted, Issei’s Sacred Gear flashing quicker.

“Shut up.” Issei mumbled, barely able to contain himself.

“I must admit the mere thought of taking Asia away as she calls out your name is simply delicious.” Diodora taunted, pushing Issei over the edge.

“Try… AND I’LL TAKE YOUR HEAD!” Issei roared, the Boosted Gear’s power coming to life.

[WELSH DRAGON BALANCE BREAKER]”

“DIODORA!” Issei roared as a blazing aura enveloped.

Issei was then covered in the Welsh Dragon Scale Mail, the Boosted Gear’s Balance Breaker aura was felt through the Rating Game arena.

Elsewhere, Adrien and his team were almost done clearing out the Khaos Brigade attackers when Adrien caught to the sudden explosive aura. “(Was my guess of when he perfected his Balance Breaker wrong? In that case it must have been in an incomplete state against Vali.)” he thought

“Let me at him.” Issei requested, a hunger to pummel his enemy into the ground practically consuming him.

“He’s yours.” Rias simply stated.

“Hahaha! Nice armor, the lights are a cute touch.” Diodora taunted while laughing only to transition into a statement, “But I have a snake directly from Ophis, a snake so powerful it grants me the power to easily surpass even the current devil kings.”

In the time Diodora was rambling, Issei delivered a vicious straight right punch, landing square in Diodora’s gut, knocking the wind out of him. Then Issei grabbed Diodora by his shirt and threw him to the floor.

How dare you, you wretched savage. I am of the same household as the current devil king ‘Beelzebub’ whereas you are nothing more than a filthy dragon!” Diodora ranted.

“I’m damn proud of being a Dragon! So, don’t you forget it!” Issei declared with a sense of pride in his voice, he then slugged Diodora across the mouth who responded by trapping Issei inside a barrier.

“Now you’re trapped!” Diodora stated, acting as if he’d won the fight, “A lowly devil like you can’t break my barrier.”

“Ddraig…” Issei said.

“**[I’ll back your move, partner.]**” Ddraig responded. “**[Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!]**”

Upon Issei power being magnified, he slammed straight into the barrier, barely denting it. “Haha! How cute.” Diodora said mockingly.

“Ddraig!” Issei called and as if on cue, Ddraig repeated used his [**Boost**] ability to magnify Issei’s power to the point it smashed straight through the barrier.

“What! Impossible!” Diodora said in shock.

“I don’t care what happens to me,” Issei started, practically staring straight into Diodora’s soul, “**No One Makes Asia Cry.**”

Another punch struck Diodora across the face. Only for him in defiant rage to respond with the following statement, “This shouldn’t be possible, I beat Seekvaira Agares, I even had methods to deal with Sairaorg. I can’t lose to the likes of the Gremory Family. Whose only claim to fame is fraternising with their servants. I am Diodora of the Astaroth family!”

In a last-ditch effort to beat Issei, Diodora charged up a powerful magic attack, while Issei charged up his [Dragon Shot]. When both attacks fired, Issei’s [Dragon Shot] ripped right through Diodora’s attack, narrowly missing the heir to the Astaroth family and causing a large explosion in the background. Issei then approached Diodora, picking him up by the scruff of his shirt, he then stowed away the mask that came with the [Balance Breaker], “Don’t ever get near Asia again! Otherwise you’ll wish you were never born!”

“**[Partner, that’s enough – his eyes are that of someone who truly fears the wrath of a dragon.]**” Ddraig said, noting Diodora’s trembling expression. Issei then released Diodora and focused upon freeing Asia.

However, things would take a turn for the worse. After being freed, Asia wanted to make a prayer in regard to being thankful she had the friends she had, however…

Upon reciting her prayer, she enveloped in a mass amount of what looked to be holy light and was seemingly erased without a trace. Afterwards, someone with long brown hair, clad in armor and a cape appeared. “Who are you?” Rias demanded to know.

“Little sister of the despicable and fake Devil King.” the intruder started, “You know me as Shalba Beelzebub, however, who I am is the true descendant of the Devil King Beelzebub.”

“Beelzebub’s what?” Rias questioned in confusion.

The moment Diodora got back up, he was immediately shot by some kind of light-manipulation device, outright killing the heir to the Astaroth family. “You outlived your purpose.” Shalba stated with little regard for his actions, “Now, sister of the imposter Sirzechs, I believe I’ll have you die here as well.”

“Why bother including Asia in your murderous scheme.” Rias questioned, “You’ll pay for taking her away!”

“Asia, where did you run off you?” Issei asked, the shock to his system preventing him from processing what really happened, “Come on, we still have the three-legged race to win.”

Issei then collapsed to his knees, however he eventually got the gist of things and started crying, Rias holding him to try and comfort him. “Oh Issei.” Was all Rias could say.

“Who would’ve thought the princess of the Gremory family would have such terrible tastes. Would the red filth like to know where that girl is?” Shalba asked, Issei expression rising up somewhat.

“I sent her far beyond our reach to the Dimensional Gap. To put it simply…” Shalba started, “The bitch is dead.”

Issei, seemingly in an unconscious manner took a few steps forward only for Ddraig to step in. “**[Your name’s Shalba, correct?**” Ddraig asked.

“Huh?” Shalba had a confused expression on his face from what the Red Dragon was asking him.

“**[You made the wrong choice]**” Ddraig stated, suddenly Issei aura flared up, flinging Rias and the rest of her peerage across the room.

Issei then began to recite the forbidden chant, “[I who shall awaken…]”

“It started… the time has finally come.” A spirit from within the [Boosted Gear] stated.

“[I am the heavenly dragon who stole the principle of domination from god.]” Issei recited the next part of the chant.

“It has always been this way…” a second spirit uttered.

“That is correct… always and forever.” A third said in response.

“[I mock the infinite and fret over the dream.]” after reciting this part Issei’s [Balance Breaker] armor began to mutate.

“What the world desires…”

“What the world rejects…”

“[I shall become the Red Dragon of Domination.]”

“Has always been power…”

“Has always been love…”

“[I shall drown you in depths of crimson purgatory.]” Issei recited in combination with spirits.

“What is that? What is that?” Rias asked multiple times, fearing the power Issei was releasing.

“His power and aura are incredible to behold.” Kiba stated, barely able to stand without being flung back.

“And dangerous.” Koneko added on.

“**[JUGGERNAUT DRIVE!]**” Ddraig echoed.

Issei’s appearance now resembled that of a red dragon and it roared out, although Rias could have sworn, she heard Issei call out Asia’s name.

* * *

_As this was unfolding…_

Adrien and the others had cleared up the Khaos Brigade, leaving a relatively quiet battlefield. However, upon sensing the mass build-up of power, he had to act to guarantee the safety of his team. “[Azazel, we have a situation… It’s the Juggernaut Drive]” Adrien informed Azazel through a telepathic link.

“What’s going on?” Thrúd wondered, however when the daughter of Thor noted Xenovia’s distance from where Issei was, Adrien sprang into action.

“Get everybody moving back now!” Adrien commanded, racing after Xenovia soon after. But would he make it to Xenovia in time?


	21. The Dragon of Domination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Issei's Juggernaut Drive rampage continues and while a plan to bring him back to his senses is executed, what are the costs of the fighting?

Xenovia had been resting after nearly exhausting herself dealing with members of the Old Satan Faction. However, when she noticed a massive surge of energy behind her, she could only look in shock as it grew, Adrien thankfully flew in, grabbing her and taking off with great speed.

However, as a result of the massive blast of aura that Issei produced, Adrien’s Balance Breaker’s flight mechanism got completely fried. “Hang on!” Adrien said, flipping so that Xenovia wouldn’t be on the receiving end.

When Adrien crash landed, his Balance Breaker broke apart, taking most of the fall for him while at the same time the flight mechanism exploded, leaving a ringing in the young man’s ears as he was stuck in a daze while sprawled out on the ground.

“Chief! Chief! CHIEF!” Xenovia shouted in concern for her leader. Eventually he came to, much to her relief.

“Damn… Ouroboros will need some time to repair.” Adrien cursed, “At least there’s next to nothing left of the Khaos Brigade. In the meantime, let’s get as far away as possible.”

* * *

Meanwhile with Tasha and Sirzechs, the former of which was in a fierce battle against Creuserey, she had done well to evade most of his more powerful attacks but Tasha was still being pushed to her limit and she knew that [Katrina’s Fall] would be far too dangerous to use given that Sirzechs didn’t have the necessary magic to mitigate the backlash from the spell.

“Creuserey, understand this. If Devils are to flourish, the last thing we need is another war.” Sirzechs warned.

“A Devil who deals with Angel, Fallen Angels and those of lesser mythologies has no right to speak as a Devil.” Creuserey argued back.

“You’re the last person ANYONE should be listening to.” Tasha countered.

Sirzechs noted the dozens of runes littered on the ground beneath them, they took a silvery-blue hue. “(What are those for?)” Sirzechs wondered.

“A lowly human has no right to be involved in the politics of those superior to them.” Creuserey shot back, his lack of focus on what was beneath him prevented him from realising he walked into a trap.

Suddenly, luminous tendrils wrapped around Creuserey’s arms and legs, completely restricting his movement. “What now?” Creuserey cursed, completely unable to free himself.

“See, because we was constantly in the air, you actually gave me free passage to do this. You doomed yourself.”

Suddenly the area around Creuserey grew dangerously cold. Sirzechs was even perplexed by the nature of the spell. However, instead of encasing Creuserey in ice, his entire being was getting converted into ice.

“I can’t feel my legs! What kind of spell is this?” Creuserey wondered in terror.

“[**Winds of Helheim**]” Tasha in a throwing motion put her hands outward. The freezing spell was now working quicker.

“You’ll pay for this Tasha Freeman. I swear-“ Creuserey began only to be cut as his entire existence was frozen solid. All that was left was a solid lump of ice where the Devil King descendant once stood, not even the snake Creuserey used was left untouched.

After the spell, Tasha slumped back into Sirzechs with a saddened look in her eyes, “I… had to kill someone.” She said solemnly.

“I know how you feel. In truth, I would have preferred to resolve the issue through words instead of fighting. Shall I teleport to your home so you can rest and forget about it?”

“Yes actually… I think… that’s what I need.” Tasha answered, “Just be sure to let my brother know in advance.”

“I will… don’t worry.” Sirzechs set up a magic circle to send Tasha to her home and soon she was out of harm’s way.

* * *

After Issei’s intense transformation with the [**Juggernaut** **Drive**], Shalba was left searching for him only to be pinned to the ground by a red dragon.

“A-AAH! M-Monster.” Shalba cried out in fear as the red dragon bit into his shoulder, lifting him up into the air, the devil king descendant then tried to use his light-manipulation device to unleash an attack at Issei only for his arm to be severed in the process causing him to cry out in pain. The red dragon then threw Shalba to one side and all Shalba could do was look in concern as to whether or not the giant beam of light would even faze the monster before him.

The monster looked up and took the blast of light head on. However, a rather familiar sound echoed.

“**[Divide!] [Divide!] [Divide!] [Divide!] [Divide!] [Divide!] [Divide!] [Divide!]”**

The sound echoed as the blast of light was halved until it was nothing more than a fancy light show.

“He’s using Vali’s power?!” Shalba questioned in shock, “Why must Vali stand in my way?”

Shalba then went to unleash an attack with his remaining arm only for a red beam to sever it entirely. The carnage caused by Issei’s rampage had Rias left still and speechless, whereas her entire peerage was running ragged. “It’s too much…” Akeno said, only able to look on at the destruction.

Shalba managed to recover from the last attack and was left enraged at the damage done to him, “You bastard!” he cursed, “This creature must be the Dragon of Domination! I have no intention of dying in a place like this not by your hands.”

As Shalba tried to teleport away, Gasper’s power to stop time immobilised him and it failed to work on Issei. “My legs? I can’t move?” Shalba said in sudden confusion.

“Gasper, did you try to stop time just now?” Kiba wondered.

“Yeah, but Issei wasn’t affected.” Gasper answered.

“**[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!!!!!!!!!!]**” the chest armor of the [Juggernaut Drive] opened up and revealed some kind of cannon which was gathering energy at an alarming rate.

“Don’t you realise I am a descendant of the true Devil King, you’re a mere dragon.” Shalba stated, in a last-ditch effort to try and sway the dragon’s attempt at killing him. Kiba had grabbed Rias while he and the other members of her peerage flew off to avoid the blast radius.

“[**Longinus Smasher!!!!**]” the blast fired, a devastating beam with Shalba’s last words before he got annihilated by the blast being, “Damn you! Red Dragon and White Dragon, Damn you both!”

When the dust had settled, Shalba and Issei were nowhere to be seen. Upon Kiba asking, “Where’s Issei?” a stray blast flew over their heads. Issei was where he was after firing the blast was still rampaging despite Shalba being killed.

“What’s wrong?” Koneko wondered.

“The fights over but Issei’s not returning back to normal.” Kiba mentioned.

“The Juggernaut Drive.” Adrien brought up as he arrived on the scene with his team, then shortly after Vali appeared with Asia in his hands.

“Interesting find, I came to see what the change in Issei’s power was.” Vali explained, “Also, I believe this one is among your group.”

Vali gently put Asia on the ground as everyone gathered in joy knowing she was safe and sound. “We happened to cross paths with her in the Dimensional Gap, she is one lucky girl.” Arthur stated.

“It’s a pity we can rarely see one another Arthur.” Adrien stated, a small smile on his face.

“Indeed it is.” Arthur replied with a smile of his own, “To think it would take the Khaos Brigade to bring us back full circle. The world is certainly an interesting place to be in right now.”

“Unfortunately, it looks like Issei had an incomplete transformation.” Vali said, looking at Issei’s current state, “Fortunately, there’s a chance he might go back to normal of his own free will, however, if he doesn’t. He’ll keep rampaging until he dies.”

“Shouldn’t telling him Asia is safe turning him back to normal.” Rias wondered.

“Even if you manage to approach him safely, your words won’t reach him. You’re more likely to die than get him back to normal, but who am I to stop you.” Vali answered.

“What about your power as the White Dragon Emperor or even Adrien’s power?” Akeno suggested.

“No good, the amount of power Issei let out just invoking the Juggernaut Drive completely fried Ouroboros’ flight mechanics. Basically, I can’t use Ouroboros right now.” Adrien answered.

“Please, either of you. We’ll do anything to save Issei, you name it. We’ll do anything to bring him back.” Koneko pleaded.

“It’s possible that if you can get into his psyche and shake it up a bit, he might go back to normal.” Vali explained, “Also, it’s been said since ancient times that music can calm the anger of a dragon, although I don’t know the lyrics.”

Upon Irina Shidou’s arrival, she revealed some kind of strange musical device. “Why do I get a bad feeling all of a sudden?” Adrien wondered aloud.

Upon pressing the play button on the musical device. A song was played from a TV show in the underworld called ‘Oppai Dragon’, the whole song left Adrien completely baffled and unable to process what was happening. “What… the… fuck…” Adrien barely managed to ask at the revelation occurring before him.

“Yeah… the perv is actually popular in the Underworld.” Koneko explained bluntly.

“Uh… Huh” Adrien responded, failing to find words.

With Issei in some way responding to the song, Vali began reciting his incantation for the Juggernaut Drive.

“[I who shall awaken…]”

“[I am the Heavenly Dragon who lost all to the path of domination.]”

“[I envy the infinite and yearn for the dream.]”

“[I shall become the White Dragon of Domination]”

“[I shall take you to farthest limits of a white paradise.]”

Vali took off into the air, donning the White Dragon Emperor’s version of the [**Juggernaut** **Drive**], he after reaching Issei as high speed, attacked him allowing him to use [Divine Dividing] to halve Issei’s power.

Eventually after some thought Rias, rather surprisingly allowed Issei to poke her breasts which seemed to bring him back to his senses, while Adrien looked on after deactivating his [Balance Breaker], he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Heh, he’s someone I find awkward to work with, but he isn’t a bad guy at all.” Adrien stated with a grin.

After Issei and Asia woke up from their separate states, Issei stood to talk to Vali and Adrien, “Sorry I caused so much trouble.” Issei said apologetically.

“Nah, it’s okay every once in a while.” Vali replied casually. “Besides…”

Almost as if on cue, a massive red dragon appeared through a large crack in the sky. “Issei Hyoudou, take a look.” Vali instructed, Issei moved towards the dragon before Vali explained about it, “This is what I came out to see.”

“What… is it?” Issei asked, marvelling at seeing the dragon before him.

“The Apocalypse Dragon, written in the Book of Revelations, Great Red, he is considered the one True Red Dragon God Emperor. One day, I’ll be the True White Dragon God Emperor, but to do that, I need to defeat the Dragon of Dragons.” Vali explained.

“So that’s your dream huh?” Issei said as Vali looked at Great Red with a genuine smile.

“Great Red, it’s been a while.” Ophis greeted, suddenly appearing before everyone.

“Hang on a minute…” Issei started suddenly thrown off by the appearance of the leader of the Khaos Brigade.

“Meet Ophis, the Ouroboros Dragon. Also known as the Leader of the Khaos Brigade.” Vali said, introducing Ophis to everyone.

“Oh yes, Red, I’ll soon have my silence.” Ophis stated, feigning shooting at Great Red as it absent-mindedly flew through the sky, Ophis disappearing afterwards.

As Vali and his team were about to leave, he remembered one more thing that involved the other two dragons present. “Tell me Issei, do you want to defeat me?” Vali asked.

“I mean yeah, but there’s also Kiba and Saji, even Adrien as well.” Issei answered, earning a smile from Adrien.

“The Undefeated Dragon…” Vali started, referencing the epitaph that Adrien was known by, “Our separate powers may not be enough to beat him, but who knows, perhaps the Heavenly Dragons will have a reason to work together. It’s only just occurred to me that we have so many goals and dreams that are prioritised over our inevitable fight. We must be strange vessels this time around.”

“You’re probably right.” Issei replied with a smile.

“That said… someday.” Vali started.

“Someday, you’re mine. I can’t let you divide any of the girl’s breasts.” Issei interrupted.

“Get strong, Issei, You too Adrien.” Vali said as his farewell, leaving with the rest with the rest of his team.

Just as things seemed to calm down. A young man the same as Issei approached, a hand covering a sizeable hole in his chest. After he fell face first into the ground, Adrien caught onto who it was.

“GREIGIR!” Adrien cried hoping his friend was okay.

“Heh, sorry mate… Katerea got me good.” Greigir said, somehow perfectly fine in the situation he was in. Adrien had no means of healing Greigir, but he did his best to try and cover the wound long enough for someone that could heal the wound to get there, “But I severed the bitch’s arm in retaliation, she ran for the hills afterwards.”

“Stay with me you son-of-a-bitch. I trained you to be tougher than this.” Adrien demanded, even giving Greigir a light slap to make sure he didn’t fade.

“I’m a goner pal. But look at you, you’ve got wonderful friends, your sister is alive and well and the Old Satan Faction’s as good as gone.” Greigir said, using as much of his willpower to keep talking.

“Don’t say that! I didn’t spend 2 years training you for this to happen!” Adrien scalded, trying to refrain from crying.

“At least… let me say… how glad I am… to have been… trained… by… you.” Greigir spoke his last swords, his body became still. Adrien punched the ground furiously in response.

Adrien walked away, ignoring his blood-stained hands. This made the others realise just how dangerous the fight against the Khaos Brigade was, seeing as someone who wasn’t even involved in the issue had gone out of their way to throw their life away for the sake of a greater good.

However, Rias noticed that one of her Evil Pieces was resonating.

Off in the distance a man in refined clothing, a hand on the pommel of an ornate golden blade tucked neatly in its scabbard looked on at the events that transpired. “It appears this Issei Hyoudou could be strong enough to eventually be at the caliber of the King of Reclamation.” The man said with intrigue to no one, “Other than that, not much to go by. I admit I never expected the curse on [Zahhak’s Madness] to reach out to her servants. Regardless of her potential, Rias Gremory will invoke the weapon I gave her. That is her fate.”


	22. The Morning After, The All-Knowing One’s Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greigir begins life anew while changing in Asgard grant an opportunity for two hard-working people to grow closer. In the mean time, Lady Freyja witnesses a different side of the normally lecherous Allfather.

_Occult Research Club_

Greigir… somehow woke up, no longer bleeding and he was alive, but when he got off the more than comfortable sofa he was laid out on, he realised something was different, specifically two devil wings sprouting out of his back. “WHAT THE HELL?!” he shouted in disbelief.

“I’m guessing you know that you’re a devil now.” Rias said, “I’m Rias Gremory, an associate of a friend of yours. I promised him you’d be taken care of. I resurrected you as my second Knight, the evil piece was drawn to you.”

“But why… I’m weak… I couldn’t deal with Katerea Leviathan even with an Abnormal Gear.” Greigir said in a down-trodden tone, his confidence hurt by the loss.

“But you dealt her a great blow, and you should’ve known that the Khaos Brigade wouldn’t play fair.” Rias pointed out, “Besides, I don’t pick my servants based on strength alone, I pick them because I wish to nurture and care for them given their unfortunate circumstances.”

It was at this point that Greigir was pulled into a hug by Rias, his whole body loosened as she began stroking his soft blonde hair. “I…” Greigir struggled to get his words out.

“Listen, I have the utmost faith in you being to defeat Katerea Leviathan the next time you two cross paths, I’ll make sure you are more than prepared for it.” Rias gently told him, giving the newly reincarnated Knight some reassurance.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

After Adrien had caught onto the fact that Greigir was a member of Rias Gremory’s Peerage, a large weight had been lifted off his shoulders, however when he got home, he noticed an extra occupant. “Rossweisse?” Adrien was about to asked the silver-haired Valkyrie about why she was there but when she turned and was practically about to burst into tears, he practically flew over to sit next to her on the sofa.

“I thought I was doing Odin proud in my role as a bodyguard, but instead, after the ordeal with Khaos Brigade, he decided to fire me instead of praise me for my hard work.” Rossweisse said, now in tears.

“Um…” Adrien did have a response, he just needed to find where it ran off to. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

“We’ll probably just leave you to it, given how awkward things look.” Thrúd suggested, heading to another room along with the others.

“Actually… That’s a good idea, because this could take a while.” Adrien replied.

* * *

_Throne Room, Asgard_

When Freyja stormed the Throne Room, anyone who was occupied talking with the Allfather had decided it was a FAR smarter idea to leave upon Freyja’s entry. When it was just down to Freyja and Odin, she spoke and with massive volume, “How Could You?!”

The Allfather expertly caught a parchment about how Rossweisse was successfully situated in Kuoh along with the rest of Adrien’s team. “It appears everything’s in order.” Odin complimented.

“You KNOW how he feels about her more than even I do! So what in all the Nine Realms possessed you to send her away?” Freyja demanded to know.

“You’ve just answered the question.” Odin calmly answered.

“What?” Freyja was now in confusion given the circumstances.

“You told me that I know of how HE feels, but what about the other way around? How about how SHE feels about him. The two yearn for one another more than they are willing to ever say, it wouldn’t be fair to let their duties interfere with that, they clearly like one another and their friends fully support them in their venture.” Odin explained.

“So… you did it… for them?” Freyja realised, receiving a nod of confirmation from the Allfather.

“You know he won’t be able to remain as your escort given the nature of the enemy he faces.” Odin pointed out, giving Freyja a reassuring embrace, one that the Queen of the Valkyries hadn’t experienced since ages long past.

“(How could such a lecherous fool be so considerate about the people around him?)” Freyja wondered, returning the embrace.

* * *

_Occult Research Club_

Kiba and Greigir were sparring, Kiba using his Holy Devil Sword and Greigir using his Abnormal Gear’s Balance Breaker. The two were perfectly matched, yet Rias was completely perplexed.

“(His skills is on a whole level of its own. Outside of the loss to Katerea, he should have no doubts about his own abilities. Perhaps if he were to go on a winning streak during Rating Games, perhaps that confidence would return.)” Rias theorised, trying to find the cause of that lack of confidence her new Knight had, “(I wonder if those wielding an Abnormal Gear have their own Ranking, similar to how Devils are ranked.)”

“I’m having trouble keeping up with you.” Kiba admitted, stopping the sparring session with Greigir, “You must have been lightning quick before you were reincarnated because your speed now is abnormal, which given your Abnormal Gear is ironic.”

“Even still, Out of those who wield Abnormal Gears, despite mine ranking fairly high, I’m amongst the weakest wielders.” Greigir mentioned, causing a light bulb in Rias’ head.

“(I knew it! It had to be to do with the Abnormal Gears, thanks to Adrien’s work, we’ll be able to help him develop the Abnormal Gear so he can become stronger.)” Rias thought in delight, finally having the answer to her question.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Rossweisse had settled down and Azazel had visited with a file. Rossweisse had grown concerned about being in Tasha’s house most of the time until Azazel brought up a proposition. “There’s a certain school just down the road from here that is currently dealing with an issue in regard to managing the small amount of staff they have, and I am certain they would welcome an intellect like yours.” Azazel stated.

When Rossweisse read through the folder, upon coming across finances associated with such a career, her eyes were beaming as she saw the incredible proportions that the document described to her. It became abundantly clear what her answer was without any words.


	23. Tales of Kuoh: A Valkyrie’s Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is given an opportunity to connect with Rossweisse and have no one interrupt the precious moments they have together as the two go over their past failures.
> 
> Here's the end of Arc 3- Dark Intentions

Adrien and Rossweisse were dressed in business suits for their careers as Teachers in Kuoh Academy. Adrien had been waiting for Rossweisse, who was making sure everything was in order. Rossweisse was wearing a dark colored suit while Adrien’s was light grey.

“Um… You look wonderful.” Adrien said with a slight blush after Rossweisse had confirmed she was ready.

“And you look rather wonderful yourself.” Rossweisse replied with a truly rare sense of confidence to her words.

“Shall we use my motorbike to get to work?” Adrien offered; he rarely had the chance to actually drive it so perhaps this would be an opportune time to do so.

“Um… we’d be quite close together though wouldn’t we?” Rossweisse pointed out, becoming rather shy about the thought of being in such close proximity to Adrien, despite her fondness for him.

“Yeah… well… as long as you’re holding onto the bike we should be okay. But… I wouldn’t mind if it’s you that close.” Adrien mumbled, his blush reddening, but it seemed Rossweisse caught on.

“If that’s the case, then let’s head out.” Rossweisse said in a professional tone, taking her mind off the awkward conversation they just had.

When Adrien unveiled his motorbike that had been parked in front yard. He made sure two motorbike helmets were at the ready. His motorbike was a flashy, black and blue sports bike with blue rims.

Adrien passed Rossweisse a motorbike helmet with the same color scheme as the bike, which when she put it on, it fit snugly without problems whatsoever. Adrien put his helmet on and got on the bike, Rossweisse hopped on behind him, making sure not to be too close to him. Soon enough the two were on their way to Kuoh Academy.

* * *

_Kuoh Academy, sometime later_

At the front of the class a substitute teacher that had been filling in due to another teacher’s absence

“Thank you,” the older substitute teacher started, “I’m here to inform you that Ms. Watanabe has found a job that she has been waiting to get for a long while, I do hope that myself along with everyone present will wish that she succeeds in that endeavour.”

“There goes Ms. Watanabe. She was pretty attractive too.” Motohama, one of Issei’s closest friends grumbled with a sulking slump, “Knowing our luck we’ll get some old geezer for…”

The door slid open, a gentle, soothing breeze sweeping over the class as the replacement teacher plus one entered. The air that passed through revived everyone that was in a slump, especially the men in the class. Issei spotted who one of the two that had entered was and felt troubled, knowing he would have to be very careful with his usual antics.

“Greetings everyone, my name is Ms. Rossweisse. I will be your Civics teachers going forward and I hope to have a productive school year.”

“She’s simply divine.” Motohama said in awe at the silver-haired lady’s beauty.

Motohama, Matsuda (another of Issei’s closest friends) and Issei murmured some sort of scheme. Issei however was soon acting more mature than normal upon Rossweisse’s aide looking at him, seeing as he knew who the news Civics teacher was accompanied by, he would certainly have to keep an eye on himself and his friends… bad habits for sure.

“As Ms. Rossweisse is new to Kuoh, we have been assigned the task of getting her a teaching assistant, this one, she told us she’s worked with before.” The old substitute teacher mentioned, “This is Mr. Freeman, he will be acting as Ms. Rossweisse’s assistant as the two have worked together in the past.”

“Good morning everyone.” Adrien greeted in a professional manner, “I trust everyone here will get along while we have a productive time going forward.”

Aika Kiryuu was sat at the back of the classroom with a smug grin on display. “This should be good.” She said to her neighbour, “In fact, this next year should be hilarious.”

* * *

_Later on…_

“Class dismissed!” Rossweisse called out as the bell rang to coincide with the end of the lesson. “Do study the next chapter as I assure you it will be on the exam.”

The class vacated the classroom, nodding or giving praise to their new teacher who had settled in relatively well despite being new. Issei left last, grumbling about the extra work he’d been given. Ms. Watanabe often left extra work for students to do as well as any substitute teacher that took her lessons, some of the work was what Rossweisse was doing plus the work from today’s lesson. Rossweisse was the perfect person to have as a teacher, hard-working and determined to give the students she was working with the highest marks possible… except that didn’t last long after the class, Rossweisse let out a yawn and slumped forward, her desk suddenly becoming an adequate temporary replacement for a pillow.

“The instructors of Midgard have a kind of fortitude that not even the gods could match.” She sighed, only to be handed a bottle of water which she accepted graciously. “Thank you.” She said to Adrien.

“Want me to help?” Adrien offered, taking a seat beside Rossweisse.

“What about your next class?” Rossweisse mentioned.

“I’m just a teaching assistant, besides I was meant to help you last I checked.” Adrien replied.

“For once it is real work and not menial tasks like fetching slippers…” Rossweisse asserted, the two let out a chuckle at the memories of Asgard, while Adrien still had a role as Freyja’s escort, he was called to action when it was necessary, and she let him be when he wasn’t needed, “Apparently, Kara became a full-fledged Valkyrie recently.”

“Damn, that seemed quite special to her. I feel bad for missing it, although considering the activity of the Khaos Brigade, it can’t be helped.” Adrien said, slightly disappointed that he couldn’t attend such a special event for Valkyries in training.

“She understood that you had your work at an unfortunate timing. She doesn’t feel sad about you not attending. At least that’s what Thrúd told me when she found out.” Rossweisse explained.

“I just had a thought….” Adrien started, “So we could get more used to Kuoh Town, did you… perhaps… want to go for a cruise on my bike and sight-see a bit as well as get to know one another better, whether it’s after today’s lessons or another time, it’s up to you.”

“V-very well.” Rossweisse said nervously, “I shall await you at the front of the school at the end of the day.”

“Just… so people don’t get the wrong idea… try to leave as late as possible.” Adrien noted, Rossweisse blushed lightly upon realising what misunderstanding could befall them, but quickly pushed it aside so the two could clear up as much of the work left for them as possible.

“O-of Course.” Rossweisse stuttered slightly as she continued her work.

* * *

_After school…_

“Kuoh is certainly a blessing in disguise.” Rossweisse said cheerfully, “To think I could get a new jersey and enough food for the week this easily and efficiently is truly a miracle in of itself.” 

“I’ll worry about getting us a laptop each for work.” Adrien insisted, “If I don’t get it at a discount, I’ll at least keep to a tight budget of some sort.”

“But no matter the circumstances, you should always make steps towards solidifying your future.” Rossweisse stated with a fiery determination, leaving Adrien slightly surprised, “A good job to make a career out of, solid retirement plan, benefits to help your daily life, I’ve been meticulously planning it all to live comfortably since I started High School.”

“But what about your peers? Did you consider spending time with them?” Adrien wondered, unlike Rossweisse, he took his life a step at a time, he rarely planned ahead, and certainly never did it to the extent Rossweisse had.

“I never got around to it.” Rossweisse admitted, “I… never had any opportunities to get out like this. After I failed my family trials, I forfeited any chance of it happening.”

“Family trials?” Adrien pondered,

“The tests to take up the create that would have made me the head of the family. As the only child it was unexpected that I would pass with ease but…” she paused for open due to how open she was being. “I disappointed everyone, including my Grandmother. In the end, it was my cousin who proved superior to me.”

“(So she gave up everything else to focus on her magic?)

“Well… you’re better off than I am. The Sacred Gear I was born with rejected me, then when I tried using Ouroboros, I nearly hospitalized myself because of its strain. So I ended up having to drink a special elixir to enhance my body enough so I could take the strain, but even that left me in a lot of pain.” Adrien admitted himself, “I was worse off than Issei could ever have been and he was just the resident school pervert before becoming a devil, whereas I was just a sickly child who could barely function without constant aid.”

“I would say that our past failures have brought us full circle to this point.” Rossweisse stated, “I confess that I have always wanted to own a discount shop that could sell any item one could wish for, and also If possible, train those outside of Asgard how to use the Norse Magic.”

“A Valkyrie owner of a discount shop who wants to train cross-faction people in Norse magic.” He jested with a cheeky smirk, eliciting a cute pouting expression from the Valkyrie. “How peculiar indeed.”

“And a fugitive who is the escort for one of the leaders of Asgard being a teaching assistant in his sister’s school isn’t?” Rossweisse fired back with a confident smile, then the two burst into laughter picturing just how amusing things would be from here on out, “Would you have any issue if things could stay like this for a while?”

“None at all.” Adrien consoled, “We have a school, friends, a growing team to keep my brother’s plans from succeeding…”

Adrien looked around defensively before turning back to Rossweisse who was snuggled up to his chest, causing Adrien to stiffen slightly. “Rose? Are you feeling okay?”

“B-Better than ever.” She stammered slightly, her heart skipping a beat upon Adrien calling her ‘Rose’, “I know I am still far from experienced with men, but this moment is hardly anything important so… could we… perhaps… stay like this for a while? If it isn’t a problem for you.”

“(This is DEFINITELY something important…” Adrien said to himself, “(It is the kind of thing I’ve yearned for a long while… being in an embrace with the one I adore more than any other.) Of course we can.”

There Adrien was, with the person he felt closest to. He wasn’t fearing for his safety, he wasn’t getting teased because of these feelings, they were out in the open yet were hidden in plain sight and he enjoyed this peacefulness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of me uploading this chapter, this story has 215 hits so thank you to the people who go out of their way to read my work, it is greatly appreciated as I was honestly not expecting to even hit that high but i suspect (and hope) it will increase as time goes on. 
> 
> I hope those that have decided to read it and enjoy it will continue to do so and also any feedback that will allow me to improve is greatly appreciated.


	24. Calamity on the Horizon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki appears to be planning something big behind the scenes while Adrien receives a disturbing message about those close to him.

_An Undisclosed Establishment…_

Out of Adrien’s team, Adrien and Rossweisse were tasked with the unfortunate task of acting as security for Odin and Azazel, the two had chosen the most opportune time to head to a hostess club. Adrien and Rossweisse had position themselves just inside the establishment but not in sight of the Allfather’s habit.

“How do you cope with this?” Rossweisse wondered, struggling against the better part of her that wished to leave.

“It’s part of the job. We go where they go whether we like it or not. As long as we’re in range of any attempt on their lives, we can stop it.” Adrien stated.

“Would it be safe to assume you’ve been to these kind of places before?” Rossweisse asked, not entirely pleased with the impression Adrien was giving.

“I have been to these places before… however, it was few and far between.” Adrien explained, “In fact, I only did it to stay out of the way, given my circumstances. Keep out of the way while in plain sight.”

“As long as you don’t pick up the Allfather’s habits I see no reason to complain.” Rossweisse stated firmly.

Rather surprisingly, Adrien got a call from Greigir. “[Hey Adrien, I just picked up on something. The Khaos Brigade has something of a weapons smuggler of sorts. Thought you’d want to look into that.]” Greigir informed.

“[That sounds promising, I’ll look into it and get back to you.]” Adrien said simply, the call ended quickly after.

“It is good we are receiving more information about the Khaos Brigade.” Rossweisse said with a pleased tone and a smile.

After Azazel had gotten a call requesting his presence, he turned to Adrien, “Hey, I’m gonna be switching places with Baraqiel. You okay with that?”

“Can you stand without toppling over drunk?” Adrien quipped.

“Heh, I’m not that drunk, it’s the old man you need to look out for.” Azazel responded with a remark of his own, “Come on Old man. You’ve got important places to be.”

“Haha, I suppose we’ll have to arrange a separate trip at a later date then.” Odin suggested.

Some distance from the establishment…

“Is this the extent of your attempt at negotiating with lesser mythologies Allfather?” a familiar voice asked, which was revealed to be Loki, the Norse God of Trickery.

“Just having a look at Japanese Culture, Loki.” Odin answered.

“To think you’re also allowing a well-known criminal to reside in Asgard as well. How far could the mighty leader of Asgard fall?” Loki said in a mocking tone.

“And a God of Mischief is someone we should obviously listen to. Yeah, right.” Adrien said, dripping with sarcasm.

“Boy, you should respect those that are superior to you.” Loki barked, Adrien merely responding with a smug smile, the Norse God of Trickery obviously oblivious to the tyranny that the Undefeated Dragon could cause.

“Lord Loki, I humbly request you not stir up any form of trouble.” Rossweisse requested politely.

“And what will you do should I say no? Talented though you may be, your more-or-less another worthless Valkyrie in service to the decrepit Allfather.” Loki arrogantly retorted, only to suddenly anger Adrien.

Loki brought his attention to the Undefeated Dragon, who’s eyes had a bottomless coldness to them as he glared straight into Loki’s core with malevolent intent on his mind as he began glowing with a black and red aura, the Norse God of Trickery thrown off guard momentarily. “Your ideal world won’t come to fruition.” Loki warned.

With that warning, Loki teleported away. Adrien ended up suffering a momentary migraine before he soon recovered, and his eyes went back to the way they were, and his aura died down. Odin in the meantime looked on, noting the chilling feeling Adrien’s eyes had just for that moment. “(That man… he bears a kind of karma that no mortal being should be able to withstand.)” Odin thought to himself.

“(Is he cursed to damnation?)” Rossweisse wondered to herself, showing genuine concern for Adrien, if only for a brief moment.

_The following night…_

Adrien had managed to get the chance to be by himself. He was simply floating above Kuoh Town, practically blending in the night sky. “So, Loki is planning Ragnarok…” Adrien stated, slightly nervous about the upcoming battle, “He’ll need something to act as a diversion while he acts from behind the scenes… Baldur and those who lead Asgard as prime targets to start Ragnarok.”

“Hello, dear brother…” Adrien’s own brother Emmanuel greeted via telepathy.

“**You**…” Adrien coldly replied with his own telepathy.

“I just thought you’d like to know about what Loki plans to do…” Emmanuel assumed.

“What’s your aim?” Adrien wondered.

“I wish to find the King of Reclamation. Loki’s plan will interfere with my own; however, it will be a good test for your resolve.” Emmanuel explained.

Adrien didn’t seem that convinced however, Emmanuel was about to mention something to shake Adrien to his core.

“Tell me Adrien.” Emmanuel started, “Do you really intend on protecting the Valkyrie that used to be Odin’s most recent bodyguard?”

Adrien eyes took on a terrified expression, “(No! Not her! For all that’s right, don’t take her away!)” Adrien pleaded to himself.

“Nothing will change even if you manage to protect her from Ragnarok. You can’t protect nor do anything… There Is Nothing In Your Ideal Future.” Emmanuel stated, ending the conversation there, while Adrien had severe anxiety lurking in the back of his mind.


	25. The Phantom Strike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An attempted assassination on one of Asgard's best brings forth forgotten memories of Adrien's past. But in the current day, will he succeed in protecting those closest to him.

Adrien had suspected that an assassination attempt of some kind was on the horizon, the likely targets being Odin, Freyja or Baldur, the Norse God of Light. However, what he didn’t expect was for them to go after one of their own allies.

* * *

_Asgard Prison_

Mikael Richter could hear the sound of boots approaching. He looked up to see a hooded figure in front of his cell. “As expected of my ally. You’re here to free me.” Mikael said with relief rushing up to approach his ally, “Once I am free, I will deal with that naïve fool and we will become stronger than ever.”

Mikael’s rambling was cut off when the hooded figure somehow appeared behind him, thrusting a blade through his chest, “W-Why do you forsake me?”

Ernest who was in a cell across, heard the ordeal go down but never said a word in case he’d end up the next victim, his terrified expression told you exactly how he was feeling without words.

* * *

_Freyja’s Office_

A messenger rushed to Freyja’s office like as if he’d ran around every one of the nine realms to just to get there, “Lady Freyja… One of the… Khaos Brigade… prisoners was murdered.” The messenger said while catching his breath.

Freyja only had time to gasp as Adrien intercepted the same hooded figure who had somehow made their way into Freyja’s Office without being seen by guards. Adrien had a frustrated expression as he said, “Who Are You?”

The hooded figure only retorted with a maniacal grin before vanishing through the wall, when Adrien left the office to pursue, the hooded figure was well out of range and they had sent hundreds of automated dragon armors to attack Asgard.

“Déjà vu all over again.” Thrúd noted, “Except their numbers have increased tenfold.”

“Handle the ones on the ground, I only need one attack to deal with the ones in the air.” Adrien calmly instructed, donning Ouroboros’ Balance Breaker and heading into the sky, “[**Heavy Caliber**]”

Upon Heavy Caliber’s activation, Adrien started attacking every automated dragon armor he could find, cutting them down in mass.

“That’s [**Unforgiving** **Chain**], one of the secret techniques my brother developed. By the time one ‘action’ ends it becomes part of a never ending chain, granting the ability to unleash attacks without pause. It’s the theoretical method for unleashing unlimited attacks.” Tasha explained.

“Unlimited?” Freyja question with partial shock.

“There is an end to it.” Tasha answered, “But it’s neither when the attacks are interrupted or when my brother runs out of stamina. It’s actually when he’s finished predicting his opponent’s intentions.”

Thrúd was quite handily clearing the land-based abnormal gear armors, however there was a strangely low number of them, this bothered Thrúd “(Something isn’t right here, for everyone land-based one, there is at least ten air-based.)” she said to herself.

Adrien cleared through the massive horde of air-based abnormal gears despite the fact that had a minimum of a 10 to 1 advantage on their opponents. After the final few were cleared, the assassin reappeared.

“HAHAHAHA!” they cackled with a vague feminine voice.

Atop one of the surrounding building stood the hooded figure, “You gave me quite the scare there… I mean, with odds like the ones in front of you, who could have been able to take down that big an army right?”

The hooded figure reappeared a few feet behind Adrien, who turned to face them, “Your becoming quite the threat, oh great ‘Undefeated Dragon’” they said in an odd tone, like that of someone preaching to god, however when Adrien’s epitaph was mentioned, it was said with spite.

“Just who the hell are you?” Adrien demanded to know.

The hooded figure chuckled then took off the hood. Beneath that hood was a woman with short black hair and heterochromia eyes, one blue and one purple. “Are you related to my brother?” Adrien wondered in sheer confusion.

“Don’t lump me with that bastard.” The woman said with more spite than before.

“How do you know him?” Adrien asked.

“My name is Selina. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Fallen Prince.” Selina explained, avoiding the question Adrien asked her, then her facial expression turned maniacal, “Soon, the nightmare from five years ago will repeat itself!”

“The nightmare from five years ago?” Adrien wondered, failing to see what was being mentioned, but he knew it wasn’t the [Tyrant Massacre].

“Did you forget? Something happened in the Underworld to spark the [Tyrant Massacre], in fact it almost changed how the Tyrant Massacre actually played out.” Selina explained, vanishing into thin air, leaving only the sound of her cackling behind.

“(What is she talking about?)” Adrien wondered.

* * *

_5 years ago…_

_All Adrien could remember before the Tyrant Massacre was a building in the Underworld that was around the same size as your average church. Then the interior that had the setup of some sort of lab, dead bodies laid out with blood beside them, then his memory zoomed in one particular body, one that he swore he knew EXACTLY who it was that had died there._

After Adrien broke out of his thought process, not finding the answer he was looking for. “It’s no use, I can’t remember what happened then.” Adrien cursed, he then realised where he needed to be, “Thrúd, Tasha, We’re heading to the Underworld Now.”

“(Rossweisse, Please be safe… Please let nothing happen to you, I’ve lost so much already…)” Adrien pleaded in the back of his mind.


	26. Prelude to Ragnarok

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disaster strikes during the race to prevent Ragnarok but how will Adrien respond to it. Could Ragnarok still occur anyway?

While Asgard was under siege, a diversion team consisting of Rias, her peerage, Saji, Irina, Rossweisse, as well as the Vali Team were dealing with Loki himself. The Vali Team transported themselves along with Fenrir elsewhere after taking out Hati and Skoll, two of Fenrir’s offspring.

Suddenly, someone appeared out of a green magic circle. More specifically, a tall voluptuous woman with short, red hair and purple violent eyes. She was wearing something akin to a military uniform, a shortsword strapped to her side.

“And you are the aide I was given?” Loki, the Norse God of Trickery assumed, receiving a nod from the red-haired woman.

“Indeed.” The woman answered. “I suppose it would be better to demonstrate my prowess.”

“Who the hell are you?” Issei asked, demanding answers.

“Shera Northwood. I’m your better… And Your End.” Shera answered, drawing her shortsword, she began to recite an incantation, “[Soot of intrigue that is the embodiment of the wicked. Lurk in the shadows and deceive your foes. O great dragon of previous life with atonement. Gorynych’s Sin.]”

This was the passcode for the Balance Breaker of this user’s Abnormal Gear, a large, thick suit of grey dragon armor with green lines running along it that was specialised for ground combat. “Well, things just got a whole lot more impossible.” Saji stated.

“Get it together. Everyone’s relying on us here.”

“Keep it together!” Rias commanded calmly, “There’s a lot riding on this, we can’t afford to let anyone down.”

“Yeah, come on Saji! We don’t lie down for anyone.” Issei said encouraging a fellow Dragon user.

“Yeah, you’re right. Let’s make it clear we don’t need Adrien to have to do the heavy lifting.” Saji stated with renewed determination.

The teams then split up. With Issei, Saji, Akeno and Xenovia (who stayed behind to aid those trying to sort out an agreement with Asgard.) taking on Loki, while Rias, Kiba, Greigir, Koneko and Rossweisse chose to take on Shera.

* * *

_[Shera vs. Rias, Kiba, Koneko and Rossweisse]_

“So you’re the [Crimson-haired Princess of Ruin], at least I’ll have a good challenge.” Shera stated with a smile on her face, “They say you’re able to match the abilities of even the highest ranking devils at will based on talent alone. You also happen to know Adrien don’t you?”

“Yes, I do, we’re on relatively good terms, despite me not knowing much about him.” Rias stated, “Why do you ask?”

“I know him relatively well too, given he used to work beside us.” Shera stated, “Although I’m not as powerful as he can be. He was consider The Monster amongst us.”

“I think it’s about time we get this over with.” Rias stated, charging up her [**Power of Destruction**].

“Glad we agree.” Shera replied, immediately responded by charging at the group head on with a scythe that was the appearance of the shortsword from earlier when she donned her Balance Breaker, only to be intercepted by Greigir who had immediately donned his Balance Breaker in response, “You betray everything we stood up for by becoming a devil Greigir. Your existence is meaningless.”

“Don’t fuck with me.” Greigir spat back, swinging a slash downwards, which was blocked by the scythe in Shera’s hands. Kiba had managed to sneak behind Shera only to be blasted back by a heavy backhand, but Kiba quickly recovered, leaving Shera with a somewhat impressed look, Kiba quickly readied a power attack.

“[**Sword Birth!**]” Kiba impaled the ground with his [Sword of the Betrayer], causing a vast number of holy demonic swords to rise from out the ground, a few even wounding Shera, albeit for superficial amounts of damage.

“A Sacred Gear like [Sword Birth] would have been welcome among our ranks.” Shera mentioned.

“We wouldn’t associate with filth like you terrorists even if the world was about to end.” Kiba said defiantly.

* * *

_[Loki vs. Issei, Saji, Xenovia and Akeno]_

“[**Dragon Shot!**]” Issei fired a concentrated of energy at Loki, who wasn’t fazed by it.

“Pathetic!” Loki barked, summoning a barrier to defend against the blast. Only for the barrier to be besieged by Akeno’s lightning and a wave of holy energy from Xenovia’s Durandal.

“We just need to hold out until Asgard gets Mjolnir ready right?” Saji asked to clarify to plan.

“Yes, but it seems easier said than done considering our opponents.” Xenovia pointed out.

“[**Thunderbolt!**]” Akeno unleashed a large lightning bolt at Loki, the attack proving ineffective against the Norse God. “(My attack didn’t even faze him.)”

Akeno and Issei regrouped, the latter of which softly held the hand of the former, when Akeno turned to Issei, she had a rather noticeable blush on her face, all Issei said after a nod was “I’m with you.” In a quiet, soothing tone.

This made Akeno feel a renewed sense of determination as she melded her lightning with the holy element she had as a half Fallen Angel. She flung a massive thunderbolt towards Loki who responded with.

“Preposterous! Such naivete will only hasten Ragnarok.” Loki stated, using a half-baked barrier to block the attack only for it to break easily, damaging the Norse God that had gotten a tad bit too arrogant.

Rias however was left rather confused, after the ordeal with Diodora, Issei and Akeno had been relatively quiet, and furthermore, Rias had heard rumors that the two had been on a date, without her ever knowing! Then when she asked about it, Issei simply said that she ‘misunderstood the situation’ and it was in fact just an outing between two friends. So how on earth could a simple ‘outing’ have such an effect on Akeno.

“(Issei, just what happened when you went out with Akeno?)” Rias wondered.

“[**Spectral** **Nightmare**]” Shera created multiple, light armored clones of her Abnormal Gear’s Balance Breaker, around six of them to be specific, all of which scattered across the battlefield, no doubt to make the already difficult situation even more difficult.

“Get off me!” Issei roared, throwing the clones off of him and firing a [Dragon Shot] to destroy them.

Shera was skulking along the battlefield while the clones occupied everyone and tried to pick off Greigir, who little to her knowledge already knew where she was as she had to duck the bizarre whip-sword hybrid weapon that nearly took her head off.

Greigir immediately rushed Shera as the two locked up in combat once more. “Despite the fact most Abnormal Gear user outpower those born with Sacred Gears, your among the weakest of us.” Shera taunted.

“Yet I’m fairing well against you, what does that say?” Greigir retorted.

Rias unleashed a devastating beam of her [Power Of Destruction] to which Shera responded with “[**Primordial Shell**]”

“Don’t fire, attacks that come into contact with it will ricochet!” Greigir called too late, “[**Encrypted Fog**]”

Greigir’s ability jamming fog forced Rias’ attack to miss, which may have very well saved the group a lot of trouble.

“This is getting annoying.” Loki cursed, having underestimated his foes.

“Indeed. I suppose I can demonstrate power to match Super Devils.” Shera said, leaving everyone present with a look of despair.

Shera released twelve of the light armored clones which all then began glowing bright green. Shera then began reciting a different incantation.

“I who shall awaken” she started

“Am the False Existence who will reforge the world to an ideal.”

“I shall walk the Path of Domination with infinite chaotic desires and crush any spiteful dreams.”

“I shall become the Dragon of Sin that all will tremble before.”

“And I ensure you, that you will obey the will of the ruler and his perfected laws.”

“[**HALLOWED** \-- **GOD**]”

Shera’s armor was now a quadruped dragon-like armor, a set of wings connected behind her and a small group of powerful cannons were mounted on the hind quarter of the armor.

“The power that is emitting… its unlike anything I’ve ever seen…” Kiba said in shock, having fell to his knees in fear of the monstrosity before them.

Loki looked on impressed at the display of power before him. “Do as you please.” Loki simply commanded. Shera moved so quickly she couldn’t been seen by anyone present, however Greigir knew he was the intended target.

However, disaster struck… Rossweisse instinctively jumped in front of the attack, her stomach ripped open by the scythe, Greigir fell back in shock, his heart practically wanting to burst out of his chest with how quick it was beating.

When Rossweisse fell to the ground, Greigir was in a state of despair far greater than before, “What… The Fuck… Have You… JUST DONE!?” Greigir said, nearly having a breakdown at the events that occurred, “Rias, gather everyone. We need to get Rossweisse somewhere safe otherwise we’re about to be victims to a mindless slaughter!”

Too late… Thrúd and Adrien arrived. “Rossweisse!” the two called out, however upon seeing the state Rossweisse was in, Adrien froze in a mixture of shock and overwhelming grief.

“She’s severely injured!” Thrúd noted with great worry for one of her closest friends, “Stay strong, Rossweisse!”

Thrúd’s expression turned to one of shock as she broke into cold sweats, trembling as she turned to Adrien, who was glaring at Shera with eyes that had a bottomless coldness to them, his black and red aura threatening to explode.


	27. Silenced Rampage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> True Ouroboros... the infamous unbeaten myth that is considered the enemy of all devils... who knew such a monster could hide in plain sight. How will Asgard and the Underworld react to its unstoppable fury and wrath.
> 
> Here's the End of Arc 4- The Destroyer Cometh

That moment… amidst the blood, sweat and tears shed during the fight against Loki and Shera, that singular act of witnessing the woman who despite his criminal background and mysterious past, treasured him beyond all monetary worth being left on death’s door caused the very darkness Freyja feared more than anything else to be fully realised. Little did anyone know that Adrien was a far darker person than he could ever let on.

“Rossweisse, wake up, Rossweisse!” Thrúd pleaded.

“I’m going to destroy everything in this world.” Adrien said in a vile, enraged tone.

“Adrien! Please tell me you didn’t just say that!” Thrúd pleaded, hoping she misheard him, unfortunately… she hadn’t…

Loki gasped at the dark presence only to look up at the sky, the clouds turned pitch black, yet the sky had a crimson hue as the rumbling of thunder approached. “WHAT MANNER OF SORCERY IS THIS?!”

“The sky…” Rias wept fearfully, thinking back to that dreaded attack 5 years ago and how the sky had the same color as it had now.

Adrien’s aura exploded with such violence and raw, monstrous power, that most of the people fighting against Loki and Shera were launched by the overwhelming force of it whereas Shera and Loki were pushed back a good few feet by it.

* * *

_Some distance off, at the meeting place where Odin was to sign a treaty with the Biblical Factions._

“The sky… it’s begun again.” Sirzechs said, he knew the full terror the Tyrant Massacre could imbue into someone, some part of him still feared the monster that caused that carnage. The thunder and lightning became copious the longer the ordeal went on.

“(Please tell me Adrien is okay.)” Freyja pleaded in the back of her mind, donning her signature Valkyrie armor and taking off with great speed, Odin accompanied her using his eight-legged horse Sleipnir. 

“It’s The Destroyer… he’s returned.” Tasha simply stated, not saying another word more.

* * *

_[Adrien vs. Loki and Shera]_

“Issei, we should focus on moving Rias away from here and getting Rossweisse somewhere she can get her injuries treated.”

However, Issei was completely unresponsive, what Akeno hadn’t seen was a crimson, explosive lightning bolt that had struck less than inches away from Issei, who was shocked after the damage one bolt caused to the ground alone.

“This isn’t good.” Kiba stated, as he tried guiding Rias further away from the battlefield. However, he was left in disbelief as an apparition that appeared almost identical to Ophis, aside from being a few inches taller and a more mature body and a gothic attire consisting of a red and black color scheme. “What is that?!”

“[The Undefeated Dragon bound to my will, Abandon all hope in the face of Despair]” Adrien started citing The One Incantation To End Them All.

“[The Invincible Dragon I gave birth to, Rampage as you bathe in the Crimson Sea]” the apparition said after, “[The jet-black God Of Infinity]”

“[The jet-black Destroyer who devours the crimson blood of Devils]” the incantation alternated back to Adrien.

“[You shall bear witness to the Rebirth of the Forbidden One we shall become that rewrites the Principles of Life and Death]” both Adrien and the apparition said,

“[Thou shall drown in perpetual despair as we create the concept of Endless Annihlation]”

[**TRUE** **\---** **OUROBOROS!!!**]

What followed the incantation was a massive red flash and the appearance of [Ouroboros] had changed drastically. A second pair of wings were attached to its back, the armor itself took on a far more barbaric appearance, the parts added to the arms were jagged spikes that seemed to double as mechanical parts to enhance the offense of the blade.

Any other mechanical parts that were added made the former dragon of majesty reveal its tyrannical true form that was specialised in an unstoppable offense. The transformation also left ghastly black cracks along one side of Adrien’s face. The cataclysmic thunderstorm let loose a deafening array of lightning in the background as True Ouroboros took to the sky.

“This is… Ouroboros’ Ultimate Form.” Greigir said, his voice trembling at the monstrous aura The Destroyer gave off. 

Rias was in sheer terror, the traumatic flashbacks of the victims of this borderline genocidal tyrant and the unholy destruction it wrought made her let out a shrill, terror-imbued, ear-piercing scream.

Everyone snapped to Rias and Greigir immediately took to grabbing Rias and flying as far away as possible. “Rias, please calm down. That thing scares me as much as it does you. Trust me, I’ve been unable to sleep just thinking about what True Ouroboros can do.” He said.

“It’s going to kill us all… It’s going to kill us all.” Rias kept repeating in sense of complete insanity.

“(I have to move; she’s having a damn mental breakdown.)” Greigir said to himself, moving quicker than ever to get Rias out of harm’s way and as far away from The Destroyer as possible.

Odin and Freyja arrived and upon seeing a wounded Rossweisse beside Thrúd and Adrien with a more barbaric version of Ouroboros’ armor. Freyja despaired, her personal escort, whom she cared for as much as her and Odin’s only mutual son, Baldur, had gone over the deep end and was now taking on the moniker of an unbeatable, absolute myth, one that hadn’t been seen for 5 years.

To make things worse, as Odin approached to try and get Rossweisse out of harm’s way, he was face-to-face with The Destroyer, those cold eyes baring into the Allfather with malicious intent lurking behind him. “(The boy is reacting solely on instinct, both to destroy his enemies and protect Rossweisse.)” The Allfather noted in the back of his mind.

Odin didn’t so much as even breathe or twitch while True Ouroboros was in his path. Freyja had her hands to her heart as she gave a genuine plea for her precious guard to not fall any further, “Adrien, please… give me a sign… that you’re still there… and you haven’t fell to darkness.” Freyja said, shedding tears of sorrow.

Loki thought it would be a smart idea to send a series of ice spears at The Destroyer to try and blindside it. However, the undefeatable myth turned, the ice spears ricocheted well before they reached the armor. Then with speed that was completely incomprehensible, he reappeared face-to-face with Loki, in this short window of time, Odin and Freyja teleported themselves, Rossweisse and a shaken Thrúd to safety, hopefully they could save possibly the only person alive that could bring Adrien back to his senses.

“He’s a monster.” Loki realised far too late.

“[Monster, Devil, Hero, God. Call me what you will, it doesn’t matter, because I’ll just erase… Everything.]” the apparition from before said within the Abnormal Gear as Adrien brought a singular hand in front of Loki’s fear-filled face and after a quick flash of red from his hand. Loki’s upper body turned to a crimson mist, his lower body dropped to the ground lifeless, this singular strike shocking everyone present.

“(I knew The Destroyer was strong but this…)” Sona thought in disbelief, she had started backing off when Shera unleashed her Abnormal Gear’s full power but to see The Destroyer again, she couldn’t believe her eyes, it also didn’t help that Adrien had completely deceived everyone, the undefeatable, absolute myth was hiding amongst them the entire time.

Before Shera could react, The Destroyer vanished again, reappearing in front of her, planning to tear her asunder with a singular overhead swing. Shera could barely avoid the attack in time as The Destroyer hunted her down, trying to tear her limb from limb.

“His movements… there not… human.” Saji noted, visibly disturbed.

“He’s reacting on a singular instinct to destroy whoever his enemy is. It doesn’t matter whether they are a god or not, as you saw with Loki.” Sona realised as the movements Adrien made were no longer precise attacks, it was just a simple case of him having the sole desire to see Shera left in bloody pieces.

* * *

_An undisclosed location…_

“[How’s the mission going?]” Emmanuel asked.

“[It’s completely FUBAR! there’s a freak here and it’s trying to rip me limb-from-limb!]” Shera shouted.

“[What?]” Emmanuel’s confused expression could have been conceived as something of a vague trick and Shera wasn’t risking it.

“[The Destroyer is trying to tear me to pieces! How much more do I have to tell you to say how bad this situation is?]” Shera shouted, still trying to evade True Ouroboros’ attempts at killing her.

“[Just evade or parry his attacks. There’s no way you can defeat that thing unprepared. I’ll get you out, the fact we had to dispose of Mikael is already a crippling blow, we can’t afford to lose more.]” Emmanuel instructed, along with his Abnormal Gear, he began heading towards Shera’s location.

* * *

_Shera vs. Adrien_

Shera had been completely focused on defense, her Abnormal Gear barely being able to block the attacks of [True Ouroboros].

Adrien took to the skies and with his left hand, began raining down thousands of star-like dark projectiles in a massive quantity.

“[**Primordial Shell**]” Shera released a dome around herself that blocked the oncoming barrage. The dark projectiles ricocheted off the barrier in a return-to-sender manner, but they bounced off some sort of invisible force that shielded True Ouroboros harmlessly.

“[**Heavy Caliber**]” Adrien’s voice was hollow and cold, mixed with the apparition’s own voice made for a truly monstrous entity.

Adrien glowing in crimson charged with unparalleled fury, Shera’s [**Primordial** **Shell**] barely stopped the attack from ripping into her, her Abnormal Gear’s heavy armor proved effective at holding its ground but True Ouroboros kept pushing forward. Was it possible that Shera’s [**Hallowed** **God**] form had power comparable to True Ouroboros? A terrifying thought to say the least.

“What’s his relationship with Rossweisse if he snapped so quickly and suddenly?” Kiba wondered.

“They must be closer than is implied.” Akeno answered with her own guess, “At any rate we need to steer clear of him.”

Adrien was breathing heavily, as if recovering from some kind of adrenaline rush, but his expression remained the same, when his breathing steadied. His malicious glare grew more intense as his aura exploded out once more, then he put his sword in its scabbard, put his left hand out and used his right hand to channel dark aura into his left hand.

A gold flash of light teleported Shera out of harm’s way. But it seemed like the attack was going to fire anyway.

* * *

_Some distance off, at the meeting place where Odin was to sign a treaty with the Biblical Factions._

The earth was shaking immensely, like a cataclysmic earthquake was occurring. “What’s with the shaking?” Azazel wondered.

“The True King’s Throne.” Tasha answered ominously, “The god-killing final technique that my brother reserved for when the world is in danger or an otherwise equally disastrous scenario.

The leaders of the biblical factions present combined their efforts to create a strong enough magic circle to teleport everyone that went after Loki out of harm’s way, but would it reach in time?

* * *

_Shera vs. Adrien_

“[Hey Everyone! Use this to get the hell out of there! If what Tasha said is true, that technique can kill gods by the dozens if it hits!]” Azazel called out using a spell to communicate with everyone. However, Azazel couldn’t help but worry because it seemed everyone was too afraid to move under the immense power.

Adrien disappeared in a flash of red, then the blackened sky opened up, thin red lasers began pouring down in a sporadic fashion, then those thin lasers gave out to a colossal column of crimson aura that poured down in mass. Everyone that was watching barely made it to the teleportation spell setup for them before the attack landed. But everyone could see it regardless of how far away it was from them.

True Ouroboros reappeared and looked off into the distance for a time before disappearing in a crimson flash to parts unknown. With the infamous, undefeatable absolute myth known as The Destroyer having been unleashed once more… how on earth could the factions gathered weather the storm and bring Adrien back to his senses?


	28. Issei’s Final Gambit! One vs. Many

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Issei decides to gamble with his life in the hopes to ensure that Rossweisse survives and hopes to bring Adrien out of the enraged, destructive state he is currently in. But what will give out first? The lives of two dragons or the Underworld?

Later on, everyone was recovering from the fight with Loki and Shera. Everyone was trying to figure if there was anything that could be done to try and calm down Adrien while Rossweisse was being healed.

“I had no idea Adrien was so close to Rossweisse.” Kiba said, “I thought he was always calm and collected.”

“He’s a rather sensitive fellow.” Azazel mentioned, “His brother backstabbed him after the Tyrant Massacre. Either way, he’s had a whole load of rage built up that he wanted to release.”

“And now thanks to Rossweisse being put in danger, he’s rampaging and there’s no one strong enough to stop him.” Akeno added.

“It all comes down to whether Rossweisse lives or not.” Azazel stated, everyone realised that it came down to chance and nothing else and it left them with a look of horror.

While everyone was trying to figure out a plan to calm Adrien down. Issei was in a separate room in deep thought, all while listening in on the conversation.

“So we need to buy time?” Issei mumbled, looking at his Boosted Gear.

“[Don’t think about facing True Ouroboros partner. You won’t stand a chance.]” Ddraig warned sternly, knowing what Issei intended on doing.

“Put it like this Ddraig. If Rossweisse lives and I die buying enough time for us, we can stop True Ouroboros’ rampage. Or if she dies, we lose all hope of surviving until sunset because Adrien will wipe us out single-handedly.” Issei fired back.

Ddraig sighed before giving a response, “[I only tell you not to bother confronting him because too many of my hosts died out of carelessness. Despite your perverted desires, I’ve come to appreciate your company.)”

“That’s somewhat reassuring, given what I’m about to do… Thanks Ddraig.” Issei said, pausing in his thoughts momentarily. He then snuck out of a nearby window, hoping to not be caught in the act and it seemed like he succeeded given that everyone was focused on preparing should True Ouroboros come back for round two.

* * *

_With the others…_

As Azazel had managed to begin formulating a plan, Asia practically barrelled into the room with tears in her eyes, “Issei isn’t here! I searched everywhere!” Asia wept, fearing for Issei’s safety.

Azazel’s planning came to a halt as he dropped to his knees, he then punched the ground in frustration as he realised what Issei intended on doing, “Issei, you idiot!” he said amidst frustration and grief.

“We have to do something!” Akeno stated, however Tasha of all people stopped her, “Tasha, why?”

“If Issei dies and we live… we’ll be able to see the sunrise the next day… If he doesn’t do this… We All die, including myself.” Tasha explained, her expression telling that she hated the situation everyone was involved in.

“Come clean with us. You knew the whole time Adrien was The Destroyer… didn’t you?” Kiba asked, his head clustered with millions of questions and no answers.

“If I told you before, you’d have hunted him down to the ends of the earth and beyond to kill him. I couldn’t take the chance.” Tasha explained firmly.

“And what Issei’s doing, it all comes down to chance doesn’t it? He could stall for an entire week, but it would mean nothing if Rossweisse doesn’t survive.” Kiba realised, “I really don’t like where this is heading.”

“This can work to our advantage, I have my Joker in play, hopefully with his skill and Issei stalling long enough we can calm Adrien down.” Michael informed.

“5 Minutes…” Tasha spoke up, “That’s how long Adrien can use True Ouroboros’ power without it endangering his life.” With that shocking news, the factions gathered had to act fast, but what would stop first, Adrien’s rampage or his and Issei’s lives?

* * *

_Elsewhere in the Underworld…_

There were devils beaten and battered all across the path Issei was walking, this had clearly been the direction Adrien took. A rough hand grabbed Issei’s leg, gathering his attention for the time being, “R-run… whilst… you… c-can.” Wheezed a wounded Zephyrdor of the Glasya-Labolas family.

Issei seemed to have been looking down at Zephyrdor with little to no regard for the man’s well-being, kicking him aside as he continued searching for Adrien. It didn’t take long before he came face-to-face with that invincible, absolute myth.

“So you were The Destroyer the entire time?” Issei said, his tone portraying a sense of feeling betrayed.

“Move.” Adrien bluntly said, his voice merged with the apparition deep inside the Abnormal Gear as he spoke for the first time since his rampage started.

“Answer me Adrien!” Issei demanded.

“Get Out Of My Way.” Adrien demanded in response, “I… Will Destroy… Everything. That’s… my sole desire.”

“So my words won’t reach you anymore huh?” Issei realised.

“Last Chance… Move.” Adrien warned with malice coating his warped voice.

“To think… that a guy that I started looking up to… was in fact my greatest enemy and the biggest scar Rias has ever had to endure.” Issei monologued with a saddened expression, “But don’t worry, I’ll be the one… To Defeat You Once And For All!”

“Rossweisse… I need to protect her… I have to…” Adrien started in a somewhat panicked tone only for it to twist into the malign, monstrous voice from before, “Destroy!”

Issei donned the Balance Breaker once more but when Issei’s aura became the immense power that was almost his undoing before, Ddraig had to say something, “[Partner! You realise how reckless this is don’t you!?]”

“I can’t let anyone die! If I don’t do this, Rias, Akeno, Asia, Everyone will die!” Issei cried out in desperation, “I’m willing to play a game of chance with my life if it means we’ll live to see tomorrow! I’m ready to die for this to work!”

Ddraig sighed as his partner had come to terms with the near guarantee that he would die to True Ouroboros. “[Very well… I don’t agree with your decision but given your desire to protect those close to you, I’ll back your play this one time.]”

After a deep breath, Issei began reciting the forbidden chant, “[I who shall awaken…]”

“[I am the heavenly dragon who stole the principle of domination from god.]”

“[I mock the infinite and fret over the dream.]”

“[I shall become the Red Dragon of Domination.]”

“[I shall drown you in depths of crimson purgatory.]”

“**[JUGGERNAUT DRIVE!]**” Ddraig’s voice echoed once more as the Juggernaut Drive took form, however, Issei’s Juggernaut Drive was still in the incomplete state that he used against Shalba. With great speed, Issei flew after The Destroyer and the two began their fateful, tragic clash.

* * *

_Asgard Medical Facility_

Rossweisse was receiving around the clock care to guarantee the best possible chance of her survival, although the wound she received made her end up losing a lot of blood in process. Thrúd refused to leave Rossweisse’s side, she had to see with her own two eyes that her silver-haired friend was safe and well.

Thrúd glanced at the monitor measuring Rossweisse’s heartbeat, it had been frighteningly low when she was first brought to Asgard. However, just now, the beeping grew more frequent, her heart rate was now much more stable than it was before. “She’s going to survive… She’s going to survive.” Thrúd said, reassuring herself in the face of an extremely bleak situation.

Freyja had left momentarily to get an update on the situation in the Underworld and it seemed things were getting out of control quicker than anyone expected. When Freyja rushed in to see Rossweisse, her first question was, “Will she live? Please say she will live.”

Thrúd turned to Freyja, a singular tear shedding from her eye, Asgard had all but lost hope when they knew that Adrien’s strongest power could kill gods by the dozens, if he made it to Asgard, it would be all but over. Now that Rossweisse was going to survive, there was actually a glimmer of hope, because Freyja and Thrúd both knew that Adrien would never wish harm on Rossweisse, regardless of whether he had gone berserk or not.

* * *

_In the Underworld, specifically a short distance from where Adrien and Issei were fighting. _

“Michael, I’m afraid I may have to go all in right now. It appears this situation has gone further downhill than you originally entailed.” Michael’s Joker stated, quickening his approach.

* * *

_Issei vs. Adrien_

Things were indeed spiralling out of control, Issei had done extremely well in his effort to fend off the negative influence from the previous wielders of the Boosted Gear, but even with the forbidden Juggernaut Drive’s immense power, it had failed to damage True Ouroboros in any capacity, and to worsen things, Issei had started losing the psychological battle against the previous wielders of the Boosted Gear.

“Those wielding the Heavenly Dragons power are destined to become the Dragon of Domination.” One of the voices spoke out.

“Give in to the principle of domination that threatens the gods.” Another voice said.

“You hate this man, unleash your hatred for him and force him to kneel and grovel at your feet.” A third voice said, the negative influence was far too strong for Issei to withstand against.

Issei’s attacks became far less controlled, as if it were just a means of throwing out any and all power at his disposal, something which failed miserably at damaging True Ouroboros.

“**[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!!!!!!!!!!]**” the chest armor of the [Juggernaut Drive] opened up and revealed some kind of cannon which was gathering energy at an alarming rate, it was the same weapon that killed Shalba Beelzebub.

At the same time, Adrien’s aura exploded outwards, after this he then put his sword in its scabbard, put his left hand out and used his right hand to channel dark aura into his left hand. Immense powers on both ends were gathering, but if both attacks of immense power clashed, would there be any hope for the Underworld to survive?


	29. Rainbow Colored Hope Amidst a Valkyrie’s Worries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael manages to execute a plan to stop the rampaging battle between Issei and Adrien, but was it enough to prevent tragedy? and what is the disturbing formula in Adrien's body?

Issei had donned the Juggernaut Drive and had completely lost himself in its power, planning to use the Longinus Smasher to defeat True Ouroboros, which was preparing to fire the True King’s Throne. But would whatever Michael had planned succeed in time to prevent the guaranteed end to the Underworld?

“You’ll have to kill me to stop me Issei!” Adrien roared; a rare belligerent scream took hold on his tone while he thought back to the grief of seeing his precious Valkyrie fall at the hands of the Khaos Brigade.

“Then that’s what I’ll do!” Issei replied with complete disregard for anyone that could get caught in the blast, a flashback of what at the time was supposedly Asia’s death at the hands of Shalba Beelzebub plaguing his conscience plus the added baggage from the scar of a certain fallen angel that caused him to become a devil in the first place.

“[**Speranza Bolla di Sapone**]” Suddenly, a small cluster of odd bubbles came into contact with Issei and Adrien, completely denying the activation of the Longinus Smasher and the True King’s Throne respectively, both of them had been reduced to a slumber, as the two tried to approach one another despite the odd sensation of them having their thought process completely cleared by the odd bubbles.

Another series of bubbles made contact, completely halting Issei but True Ouroboros only had its movement slowed. Then came a third cluster of bubbles, which seemed to finally stop The Destroyer in its tracks.

The strange bubbles were then adjusted slightly, projecting something akin to a pre-recorded video. For Issei, it was him spending time with Rias, Akeno, Asia, even Koneko as well. However, with Adrien it was considerably more vivid.

* * *

_Within the bubbles_

_It was an extremely vivid scene, like as if it had already happened. There she was, the woman Adrien loved beyond any other in an absolutely stunning white and gold wedding dress, her smile was gentle and alluring, she had her arms out, trying to magnetise him to her warm embrace _

_“Wh-at?” Adrien barely made it out in immense confusion, was it a dream? Was it reality? Was it simply an illusion? Just what was he looking at?_

_To further augment the scene, a pair of children sparkled into existence, the perfect blend of beauty and strength that had been clearly inherited by those who birthed them. _

_Such an image of Adrien’s thoughts, wants and joy bundled up into this one moment moved him to tears. Like he had accomplished it despite the majority of his mind knowing it was far from real._

* * *

Hope seemed to have been restored as Rossweisse, Thrúd, Freyja, Rias and Greigir arrived. Adrien despite donning True Ouroboros tried to approach only for things to take a turn for the worse, as any motion Adrien attempted ceased immediately and then after an extremely sharp pain in his stomach, True Ouroboros shattered and exploded off of him as he vomited a great deal of blood up while slamming back first onto the ground, spluttering up blood following after before losing consciousness. Issei’s Juggernaut Drive soon broke away as he toppled over unconscious once more

“ISSEI! I’m right here!” Rias called to him, hoping he hadn’t gone too far. But could Issei survive a second rampage using the Juggernaut Drive?

“ADRIEN!” Rossweisse cried out, rushing to Adrien’s side, tears welling up, had Asgard’s efforts been too little too late? Was she about to lose the one person who adored her and fought for her like no one else?

* * *

_Serafall Memorial Hospital_

Adrien had been rushed to the most advanced medical facility within the underworld, named after the current Devil King Leviathan. He was strung up to several machines monitoring his heartbeat, how efficiently his blood was flowing among many other things. Issei was in a room across from him given the strain on the Juggernaut Drive.

Rossweisse was outside that room pacing, more than obviously fearful for Adrien’s safety, Thrúd had tried to calm her friend down to no avail. “Rossweisse, you know that Adrien would hate to see you worried like this, please. I know it’s hard but stay calm and relax.”

Rossweisse eventually took a seat next to her fellow Valkyrie, then she started to burst into tears, “Why does someone that’s so kind to me have to suffer so much?” Rossweisse vented, it was truly unfair, Adrien may have been a fugitive, but he was still a gentle soul amidst the darkness that was True Ouroboros.

“I understand how you feel. His circumstances were far from fair. But with our support, he is slowly moving past them, but I honestly feel like We are the ones responsible, Not the Khaos Brigade.” Thrúd said, comforting her friend during this dire time.

“Don’t feel that your responsible, things will turn out well. Adrien is far too strong to let this get the better of him.” Serafall said, retaining her cheerful demeanour despite the dire circumstances.

One of the medical experts walked out the room with an alarmed look on his face. “Lady Leviathan, there’s something… off…” he said.

“What is it? Is Adrien in any danger?” Rossweisse was quick to ask.

“He’s not in any immediate danger but there’s something bizarre in his blood… It’s… stopping his body from reaching a critical state yet at the same time it’s not exactly favouring his body.” The medical expert said.

“That would be the elixir my brother drank before first invoking Ouroboros, it drastically enhances his body’s pain threshold but causes bizarre things to happen afterwards, like what you said, although there has been instances where Adrien’s had devastating wounds that recover in little to no time whatsoever.” Tasha explained, having only just arrived on the scene, “But that’s not the worst of it.”

“What is the worst of it?” Serafall asked after a tense silence.

“That elixir through unknown means stops his body from aging.” Tasha revealed after taking a deep breath.

The existence of a god was eternal essentially because they had to watch over their respective pantheon but for normal humans, the longer someone lives, the more painful their life could be and for Adrien to essentially be able to live forever was certainly something painful for sure. “W-Why would he do that to himself?” Rossweisse wept, the pain in her heart grew worse upon hearing such details.

“Because he was born weaker than any other person. He wanted strength, whether it’s for protecting the world from the Khaos Brigade or whether it’s to protect those he loves, as long as he could get power he was fine with the consequences.”

“Do you have any idea what is in this elixir, or do you perhaps have one on you that we can analyse?” Serafall asked, only to receive a shake of the head from Tasha.

“I have had a sample of the elixir in the past and spent an entire month trying to figure out how it was produced and what is used in its creation and came up with nothing.” Tasha admitted.

The sound of Adrien stirring got everyone’s attention and Rossweisse without hesitation, regardless of what others would think of her rushed in and tightly hugged Adrien, “R-Rose.” Adrien could barely get out.

“I’m here. I’m right here.” Rossweisse said, snuggling into the young man’s chest, unfortunately for Adrien, his body was so weak he could even do so much as raise a hand to reciprocate the embrace.

“S-or-ry” Adrien barely made out; his weak, fragile body completely useless at this point.

“It’s fine… It’s fine, I’m here now, and you’re still alive. I’ll stay with you until you recover, I promise.” Rossweisse said, gently rubbing the back of Adrien’s head, all Adrien could do was smile in response as he laid there, unable to response with physical motion.


	30. An Eternal Promise Amidst A Growing Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Rossweisse spend time together while Adrien recovers from True Ouroboros. Soon after, Adrien and Azazel ponder about events concerning Adrien's sister.

_Tasha’s Residence, Kuoh Town_

Adrien’s body had somewhat recovered from using True Ouroboros, but he couldn’t walk as he pleased and due to the strain of firing the True King’s Throne technique, he lost all motor function in the entirety of his left forearm down to his hand. He had a special cast to restrict his movements in that arm and hand to stop him from damaging himself any further.

Much to his chagrin, Rossweisse stayed behind to care for him as Adrien essentially only had one hand that he could use at the moment, and he couldn’t move around as he pleased. “I never asked for a maid whatsoever in the past. I took care of myself then, I’ll take care of myself now.” Adrien stated for the umpteenth time.

“But look at the state you’re in. I said I’d stay with you and I meant it!” Rossweisse argued back sternly, Adrien slumped back in a comfortable chair with a defeated expression, “By the way, just out of curiosity. What is it like when you activate True Ouroboros and its active?”

“It… numbs a large part of the brain, forces you only rely on sight, sound and an instinct to kill.” Adrien explained, searching for words to explain such a monstrous form.

“Also, something about what Mikael said during your fight with him has been troubling me for some time but I was hesitant to ask.” Rossweisse started, “He said you know of the world’s darkest secrets, is it… okay for me to ask about what they are?”

“They include the darker secrets of the Evil Pieces, and the existence of something from Revelations 13:1” Adrien answered, shocking Rossweisse.

“It’s just, I wrote an essay theorising that creature’s existence, but I never published it due to the fact I had no concrete evidence.” Rossweisse confessed.

“I managed to translate the meaning behind a large part of the text surrounding it in the bible but it was rough so I could have misinterpreted it, although I kept it secret regardless and made it seem like it was impossible to translate for safety’s sake.” Adrien explained.

“If it’s possible- Not Now but at some point… could you perhaps relay that information to me, it would help with my work.” Rossweisse requested nervously, knowing how dangerous it would be to publish such information.

“Yeah… I think I can do that, just say when and I’ll help.” Adrien answered, however for some reason he was tearing up.

Rossweisse was about to ask what was wrong only for Adrien himself into her arms, like as if she were a lifeline. “A-Adrien, what’s wrong?”

“S-sorry…” he wept, tearing flowing without restraint, “I didn’t protect you.”

Adrien’s tears were interrupted by a gentle hand caressing the back of his head. “Despite the fact you was consumed by anger… I knew… that you was fighting for me amidst that rage.”

“I promise… the next time things go south, I Will Protect You! I Will Make A Place Where We Can Live Peacefully Without Being Exiled In Any Way!” Adrien vowed, wiping away his tears.

“You’re already fighting strong to keep that promise.” Rossweisse pointed out, leaving Adrien with a confused expression.

“I… don’t get what you mean.” He admitted.

“You gave me a place here… in your and Tasha’s home. Because you did a great job in making a place for me to live in.” Rossweisse pointed out, earning a warm blush from her hero, “Thank you, I’m glad you decided to be my hero.” She then said, her blush equalling Adrien’s. 

It was in this warm moment that the darkness in Adrien’s heart… started to subside into the back of his conscience… something had changed, Adrien had found something that a person in his shoes most likely would never find.

* * *

_Later on at a private room in the Grigori HQ_

In a room akin to the kind of room one would be in during a counselling meeting sat Azazel with a book and pen at the ready. Adrien soon walked in, “Good to see you can walk again. If what Tasha said is true, you went way past your limit on True Ouroboros.” Azazel greeted.

“How long… did I go on for?” Adrien wondered with a slight fear.

“15 minutes, in other words, three times longer than you should have.” Azazel answered, leaving Adrien with a solemn expression, “But I think there’s a reason. You activated it when Rossweisse was in danger and now that word of you being known as ‘The Destroyer’ is out, I want to know what triggered it before.”

“It was around a few months before it kicked off. My sister got abducted by a group of devils, we found a lab of some sort and I think… she was amongst those killed. Black hair, grey eyes, I don’t think it could have been anyone else.” Adrien explained, the memory only came back to him thanks to his most recent invoking of True Ouroboros, but he wasn’t fully conscious when it had.

“Hang on a minute.” Azazel started with a completely confused expression, “She’s alive and well working with Michael, so how the hell is she there and not a reincarnated angel?”

“I… don’t know, the memory is still fuzzy. True Ouroboros must have somehow pieced part of it together.” Adrien answered, “No matter how hard I think about it, I can’t figure it out.”

“Anyway, this is just a theory. But I think similar to how the Balance Breaker awakens in response to the user’s emotions, your True Ouroboros activates in a similar manner. Given that the Abnormal Gear’s Balance Breaker is easy to invoke, through the use of a passcode, I guess in comparison to organic Sacred Gears, True Ouroboros’ activation requirement is essentially like a Balance Breaker, except overwhelmingly more powerful and ominous.” Azazel pointed out.

Adrien let out a low hum in response, the scar left by what he thought was Rossweisse’s death evident in his eyes, “Tell me Adrien. How much do you like that silver-haired beauty?” Azazel asked, putting the notebook and pen that he had been detailing Adrien’s use of True Ouroboros with to one side, then he lean forward.

“Words physically can’t describe it.” Adrien admitted, ignoring the growing blush that had become apparent on his face.

“You ever think of talking it over with her?” Azazel wondered.

“I… don’t know whether she feels the same. I can’t tell because… I won’t know how to respond if she does like me that way.” Adrien admitted.

“Look kid, I’ll be up front with you. If what I heard from Freyja is true. You’re being a fool worrying over how she feels.” Azazel stated bluntly, “Find the right place and the right time, whether that’s right after this talk, an hour from now or a decade from now. Just whenever the time is right for you, send your feelings her way and she’s bound to receive them and reciprocate them.”

“I guess… that would work.” Adrien said in response, much like the woman he adored more than any other, he too was inexperienced with those of the opposite gender but with Her it didn’t matter one bit.


	31. Gaining New Allies for Young Devils

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien gets in contact with old comrades, hoping to give Rias and her friends and extra bit of backup for the upcoming fights with the Khaos Brigade.

Rias and her Peerage were on their way to an undisclosed location to meet with an old friend of Adrien’s who was actually leading what was a cross between a counter-terrorist team and an intelligence bureau specifically meant for the Khaos Brigade faction led by Adrien’s brother.

“Um Rias, one small thing.” Adrien started, “Keep your half-vampire hidden.”

“Why?” Rias wondered.

“Let’s just say this friend of mine REALLY has a things for guys with child-like faces. So your half-vampire is at the top of that list.” Adrien explained, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

The area that had been agreed as the meeting point was an abandoned town in an area that used to belong to the Fallen Angels, although after the Kuoh Summit there no longer any need to have the divide in the Underworld.

Awaiting them in the town was a young woman who looked like she was in her teens. She had blonde hair with a hint of orange in it styled in a childish manner that consisted of a loop on either side of her head, she had beautiful jade colored eyes. She was wearing an attire that is best described as having the elegance and beauty of a noblewoman’s dress and the utility of a merchant’s work clothes. It consisted of a white shirt, a blue jacket with gold decorations and a red lining adorning it, a red skirt, a belt with small pouches and a sabre that could only be her Abnormal Gear whatever it was, white stocking and high boots.

“Madam Claudia, How have you been?” Adrien said in what seemed to be the young woman’s native language of French.

“Very Well, Thank You, Monsieur Adrien.” Claudia greeted back in the same language, “So these are the Young Devils that agreed to the meeting.”

Gasper had been hiding behind Issei as a form of protection and true to Adrien’s words, Gasper ended up in the arms of Claudia, through the subtle use of an arm that was a part of Claudia’s Abnormal Gear.

“Eeeeeeek! Rias, Issei! Help!” Gasper screamed out while in the clutches of Claudia’s Abnormal Gear.

“What Do You Think You’re Doing With One Of My Servants?!” Rias demanded to know, her demonic power rising.

“Rias. I did say she likes people like Gasper, don’t go acting like I didn’t tell you.” Adrien reminded, hoping to defuse the scenario before it got out of hand.

Issei was simply taken aback at the blonde-haired beauty that was the person they was meeting, round, voluptuous breasts and a refined hourglass shaped body. She wasn’t just a busty, seductive woman like Rias or Akeno she seemed like a refined beauty that seemed unparalleled in that scenario. “Dude, she’s only a teen yet she’s that attractive.” Issei said in Adrien’s direction.

“Actually Issei, she’s a few years older than I am.” Adrien pointed out.

“What!?” Issei couldn’t believe what he’d heard.

“Someone help me.” Gasper pleaded, only to be dropped right into Claudia’s tight, affectionate embrace, “I don’t like where this is going.”

“Don’t be alarmed, she’s known for being like this.” Adrien said, trying to defuse the situation.

The next thing that happened was Claudia nibbling at Gasper’s ear, causing him to yelp at the sudden sensation. “She’s trying to eat me!” he cried out in exaggeration.

“No… she’s just got a very big… ‘interest’ in men that look young. Trust me Gasper, she did the same to me when we first met.” Adrien admitted, somewhat ashamed of the level of doting from Claudia that rivalled what Freyja did, “(And I hated every day she did it.)”

“This one’s rather cute.” Claudia said in her native tongue.

“What is she saying?” Gasper asked with concern, not knowing any French to allow him to translate.

“She thinks your cute.” Adrien translated.

“U-Um, Thanks.” Gasper said, starting to blush.

“May I keep him for a while?” Claudia asked with sparkles in her eyes, leaving the dhampir concerned for his well-being.

“Given the rather surprising turn of events and my servant’s discomfort. I’m going to have to politely say no.” Rias politely answered, recomposing herself while Claudia was left pouting momentarily.

“It appears you’ve recruited Greigir into your Peerage. Might I ask how this came about?” Claudia pointed out, releasing Gasper, much to the relief of the dhampir, who ran straight into Rias’ arms.

“He unfortunately met his end at the hands of the Khaos Brigade. Then one of my Evil Pieces resonated with him, so I’ve made it my mission to make sure he is strong enough to take down the Khaos Brigade.” Rias stated.

“I see, I hope he is in good care. He’s a great asset to the Rebels Of Arcadia.” Claudia said in a cheerful manner, “Adrien’s a part of this group as well but we’ve rarely been in contact due to his duty lying elsewhere.”

“I assume the Rebels of Arcadia is the group you lead against the Khaos Brigade.” Rias guessed.

“Against Emmanuel’s faction, The Knights Of Arcadia, Yes.” Claudia further explained.

“I’ll assume you’ve gathered your fair share of information on this faction. Would you be willing to extend the courtesy to the biblical factions?” Rias wondered.

“Of course, we know that us alone even with myself being one of the strongest members and Adrien being the other, we’re far from equalling the power Emmanuel has at his disposal.”

“Just how powerful is he if your group can’t beat him even with how strong Adrien is?” Issei tried to figure out to no avail.

“Due to the nature of his Abnormal Gear, it’s highly likely that outside of Ophis and Great Red that my brother is the strongest being in existence.” Adrien revealed bluntly, putting every one of the devils gathered aside from Greigir into a state of despair, “If I use True Ouroboros I rank 5th alongside Thor and my brother can beat me with next to no issue. That tells you what we’re up against.”

“Then how could we match that power?” Rias wondered, losing hope of surviving against the Khaos Brigade.

“By bringing his faction down to the ground, but that’s easier said than done but thanks to Adrien, we’ve got them in a frenzy.” Greigir pointed out, “So in theory you should be able to establish contact with the other mythologies with little to no effort required, although I’d still be on my toes.”

“Then I think we’ll be getting along nicely, given our common enemy. But if I recall your group is comprised of members of the Knights Of Arcadia correct?”

“Once upon a time, we all was a part of that group, but one by one, we splintered away after Adrien was betrayed.” Claudia explained with a neutral expression, “To tell you the truth I vouched for the fact we was doing the right thing but when the Tyrant Massacre happened, I realised all too late we was wrong.”

“Then let’s work towards the ideal you and Adrien aimed for together.” Rias proposed offering to shake hands with Claudia.

“I think I can work to that.” Claudia said with a smile, shaking hands with Rias. Thus beginning a relationship to help preserve the safety of the world against one of the strongest beings in existence.


	32. Ascend! To the Summit of Olympus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asgard makes plans to head for Olympus and it appears the Khaos Brigade has an extra trick or two up their sleeve.
> 
> This is the start of Arc 6- Olympus Uprising

A distinct blast of light bearing the colors of the rainbow impacted the ground. 150 of Asgard’s best soldiers were among the force that was making its way to Olympus, Adrien was leading Xenovia, Thrúd and Rossweisse at the front while Tasha remained beside Lady Freyja.

“You seem concerned.” Freyja assumed as she and the Asgard force made their way towards Mount Olympus, home of the Greek Pantheon.

“While my brother actually has feeling in his left hand and his muscles aren’t as stiff. I’m concerned about the limit he has on True Ouroboros. We can’t have him going past 5 minutes whether he triples the length of time he uses it, or he goes over it by so much as a second. I just want these talks done with peacefully so he can fully recover, then I won’t be so worried over his well-being.”

“I do feel the same, seeing that visage of terror and the way it tore at his very being is nothing short of horrific.” Freyja admitted, she hadn’t gotten afraid Of Adrien, she was afraid For Adrien, ever since the incident with Loki, Adrien hadn’t said a word to Freyja, and it troubled her dearly.

“Wait!” Adrien said, halting everyone. He then took a sharp look at the sky, there was slight fluttering in certain areas of the sky. “Thrúd, the weapon I handed you before we left. Fire at where I point Ouroboros.”

That was correct, Adrien using his knowledge of the Sacred Gears and Abnormal Gears forged a weapon for Thrúd to wield as a long range weapon. It had a bizarre appearance, the bow itself had skeletal like structure to it while some parts were teeming with blue energy, the bow also had a blue bowstring that appeared to be fairly heavy in comparison to most bowstrings. The arrow was just as bizarre, the fletching took sharp triangle-esque shape and had strange markings all over it, whether these marking had any significance or not was beyond Thrúd. When she nocked the arrow, she noticed that it started teeming with lightning and then when she released the arrow, it soared straight where Adrien pointed, impaling an automated dragon armor then the maelstrom of lightning proceeded to wipe out the rest, much to Thrúd’s elation.

“This thing’s perfect!” Thrúd said proudly.

“It had better be. I had to remake the entire thing four times just to get it right.” Adrien said, working on that weapon was definitely one of his less than proud moments, especially with errors that entailed its creation, “Trust in Volatile Storm and it will perform well.”

“And it’s got the perfect name.” Thrúd said, she couldn’t have been any happier at the weapon bestowed to her.

Suddenly, the sound of rumbling could be heard and coming over the hills as land based dragon armors in a near infinite amount rampaged towards them.

“The Limit Break?” Adrien questioned in confusion.

“What’s that mean?” Thrúd wondered.

“It means those bastard are going to swarm us.” Adrien said in a grim tone, donning his Balance Breaker, waiting for the opposing forces to strike. However, just as the force was upon them, from their enemy’s right flank came a force of 300, soldiers arrayed in shining armor clashing with the dragon armors, however one individual with a spear the length of your average dagger was tearing a path through them as if they were nothing, earning Adrien’s attention.

“(Is that the Spear of Leonidas? But it’s only a fragment of what it was when Leonidas wielded it.)” Adrien thought.

“Hey!” a voice spoke as a petite young woman appeared, removing her skull mask partially to reveal a few strands of long, dark purple hair and a gold eye. Her attire consisted of a light blue dress, a black and white hood resembling a jester’s hat with an emerald gem at the tip, elbow-length black gloves with golden neon lines and a black cloak with embroideries of a certain character from a certain TV series in the Underworld, “Names Bennia, a Grim Reaper working for Hades.”

“Please tell me, that isn’t who I think it is.” Adrien pleaded, nearing a completely loss of faith in creation itself.

“The Oppai Dragon. I’m a huge fan of the series.” Bennia answered, revealing many embroideries of the character.

“(Lord, strike me down!)” Adrien pleaded in the back of his mind.

“If it helps, we can pincer attack those guys.” Bennia pointed out, Adrien complied without a response, the sooner he could get to Olympus the sooner he could sleep the rest of the day away.

* * *

_Not Long After_

The enemy opposition had fizzled away into nothing more than a memory. Freyja and Tasha tended to any wounded, with Tasha’s added help, everyone was up on their feet in next to no time at all, it was something Freyja was very fond of.

“That was rather rough, but we got through in good shape. How are your forces?” the person that could only be assumed to be the commander of the Greek forces that aided Asgard, “Name’s Leon, descendant of King Leonidas and the leader of The Last 300, the army that came to your aid.” He then said proudly.

“Our forces are fine.” Adrien answered after looking over those gathered from Asgard when he turned back to Leon he responded with, “Your Spear on the other hand seems to have taken the form of a toothpick.”

“Ah yes, unfortunately the Spear was shattered when Leonidas clashed with King Xerxes’ army during the Battle of Thermopylae. But Olympus does have the other pieces, but reforging it is proving difficult even for Hephaestus.” Leon replied casually, “The method to reforging it has been lost to the ages.”

“A pity, I noticed your skill when you charged headlong into those dragon armors that had been sent into a berserker like state.” Adrien said, somewhat disappointed, he had read up on the story of King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans many times in the past and to hear that the famous spear of what could be deemed at Sparta’s Greatest Hero was sad to hear.

“If it becomes possible to reforge the spear to its former glory, what I’d be capable of would be nothing short of miracles.” Leon admitted, looking over the fragmented spear, “Now onto more important matters. Who is it amongst the Khaos Brigade we are up against?”

“You’re dealing with the Knights Of Arcadia, the most dangerous of the factions in the group.” Adrien answered sternly.


	33. Residence Above The World Of Mortals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien faces his inner demons while the Norse Pantheon attempts to make peace with Mount Olympus. But how will the worries of Freyja affect things moving forward?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about my random, uninformed absence. I got a bit side-tracked while working on this fanfiction. Hopefully it won't happen often.

With the attacking force that had attempted an ambush on the forces of Asgard defeated and the few wounded stabilized. Bennia proceeded to explain how both sides needed to grant a kind of authority for a gateway to Olympus to open.

“I’ll go nag at those on Olympus to get us in.” Bennia stated, disappearing into one of her portals.

Freyja noticed that Adrien seemed incredibly distant around about now, she couldn’t quite explain what the problem was, but she knew it tied back to when Rossweisse’s life was in danger, like that event alone left a massive scar that not even the most skilled healers could fix.

“Adrien, is everything alright?” Freyja asked, noticing the distant stare he had as looked at the countryside.

“Huh? Yeah, just need some rest.” Adrien quickly said, snapping out of his distant state.

“Once Bennia gets everything set up, I’ll get you to a room so you can rest.” Leon stated, “Olympus’ hospitality among other things is second to none.”

Eventually, Bennia had secured a means of getting to Olympus, Adrien simply said he was going to make sure no one snuck in after them, but it was a simple lie that he hoped would deceive everyone.

“[You crave my power… you’re addicted to the power of an infinite existence coursing through your veins.]” the apparition that Adrien had dubbed True Ouroboros due to it only revealing itself when said transformation was activated.

“Yeah…” Adrien confessed, his darker side seeping through the cracks once more.

“[Then upon releasing its power, lose yourself in it, just sleep as it destroys your foes and awake to find them no longer existing in this world or any other.]” the apparition’s voice almost seemed… seductive in its attempts to sway Adrien towards the dark side.

Adrien paid the voice no mind and entered the portal specifically forged for getting to and from Mount Olympus. Surprisingly, the sun had already started setting. Freyja noticed that Adrien had begun wandering off, however he revealed a disturbing detail as he walked away through telepathy.

“[I can feel myself slipping into darkness.]” he said, leaving Freyja shook momentarily, “[Please… don’t tell Rossweisse… anyone but her.]”

* * *

_Diplomacy Wing Suites_

It was night when Leon had given those of Asgard a tour around the Diplomacy Wing. Adrien was left to himself, wandering towards the room he was given, however what he saw when he entered was shocking to say the least.

The bedroom consisted of two separate beds, a bedside locker next to each one, however at the bed nearest the window was Rossweisse in her underwear, just about to put her pyjama top on. When she turned to see who had entered, she dropped her top out of shock, her face igniting red in shame at being seen in such a manner.

“R-R-Rose?” Adrien barely asked.

“A-A-Adrien?” Rossweisse stammered, barely able to compose herself.

It took Adrien a minute to realise how much his eyes had started to wander, taking in the sight of a scantily clad Rossweisse while he could but upon realising, he turned around so quickly he was fearing breaking multiple bones in the process. “A-Are we r-r-rooming together?” Adrien stammered, hoping he’d just got the wrong room.

“Y-yes, it appears so.” Rossweisse stammered, quickly focusing on getting changed into her pyjamas, fearing that someone could walk in and see them in such a way, it would have created a massive misunderstanding.

Adrien remained silent while Rossweisse finished changing into her pyjamas. “You’re okay to turn around.” Rossweisse said, having finished changing, “How are your injuries from your previous battles? Are they troubling you?”

“Yeah…” Adrien said, sitting down on his bed, taking his shirt off, revealing his scarred upper body, “All of them apart from the one I got from Mikael.”

“When did you get them?” Rossweisse wondered, making sure not to stare too intently at Adrien’s well-sculpted body.

“Fighting my brother at the end of the Tyrant Massacre.” Adrien answered, dealing with those wounds was the most agony Adrien had gone through, were it not for the elixir he drank to strengthen his body, he’d have been dead almost immediately.

Rossweisse approached to get a better look at the scars, they consisted of a large x-shape scar on his abdomen, close to where Mikael had cut him open during their encounter, another was a large scar going from his left pectoral to his right hip.

Rossweisse put a hand forward to feel the scar, causing Adrien to shiver slightly at her tender touch, “Try… to be careful.” Adrien said.

“Of Course.” Rossweisse quickly said, gently running her hands along the scars caused by Adrien’s brother, they were rough and looked like a cross between a burn and a cut, “Do they bother you because you was betrayed?”

Adrien simply nodded his head, failing to prevent tears. He desperately hugged Rossweisse, to him, she was an emotional pillar, “I don’t know how much more I can take. Ever since the fight with Loki, I can’t help but be horrified if things turned out worse than they did.” Adrien admitted, the details that he pleaded Freyja not to tell anyone were now aimed in Rossweisse’s direction.

“We’ll make sure to work hard to defeat anyone who comes after us. I promise I’ll be here to stop you from going too far down the lonely road. So please, keep fighting for us, so we can fight for you.” Rossweisse said soothingly, fully understanding just how important she was to Adrien.

“I suppose we should get some sleep now shouldn’t we?” Adrien pointed out, Rossweisse released him almost immediately.

“Yes, you’re right.” She said in a professional tone. With that Adrien finished up changing into a set of his own pyjamas and he and Rossweisse went to sleep in separate beds.

* * *

_Outskirts of Olympus_

Freyja was a troubled goddess during this night-time of stargazing. One of her long-time friends amongst the gods of Olympus and Greek Goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite, noticed this quite easily.

“Freyja dear, what’s troubling you on this fine night?” Aphrodite wondered.

Aphrodite, as her title would imply was a woman that was the living, breathing definition of beauty in all forms. Long brown hair reaching the lower half of her back, blue eyes like ocean that you could practically lose yourself in. A beautiful silver gown adorned her figure, clearly the embodiment of beauty that was only rivalled by a goddess of another pantheon.

“It is my escort, the one they call the Undefeated Dragon, Adrien.” Freyja confessed.

“I have yet to talk to him in person, but I have sensed something dark upon your arrival.” Aphrodite stated, “Is it connected to his powers?”

“I don’t know whether I fear him as a person or fear for his well-being. I’m uncertain as to whether you were told this, but he is also known as the infamous ‘Destroyer’ that nearly wiped out the Devils of the Biblical Faction and decisively killed Loki when he attempted Ragnarok.” Freyja explained.

“I have heard naught but rumors at the moment.” Aphrodite pointed out, implying she only knew of The Destroyer by that single epitaph and that was it, “But to think that he had those powers and originally affiliated with the Khaos Brigade, I am truly grateful that he found a place in Asgard or Olympus would burn, and I imagine Asgard would as well.”

“Ever since that moment, seeing him so hell-bent on destruction, whether it be the Allfather, my husband, Odin or the current Red Dragon Emperor, he sought to destroy all enemies in front of him without any regard for civilian casualties.” Freyja started, wishing that the first time Adrien had unleashed the True Ouroboros in 5 years had been naught but a bad dream.

“Describe to me the appearance of what seems to be an alter-ego for this boy you treasure so dearly.” Aphrodite suggested.

“Oh gods, I wish I had forgot it.” Freyja cursed, The Destroyer’s dreaded appearance that was in fact Adrien’s Ultimate Power lurking in her mind, “I believe those of the Underworld referred to the colors as ‘Tyrannical Black’ and ‘Bloody Crimson’. It was a monster with four wings of despair, a barbaric tyrant that specialised in an unstoppable, unforgettable level of destruction. Then there was Adrien’s final technique. It could kill gods with little to no effort and it nearly destroyed the Underworld and all the lives within.” 

“And what about the motivation behind its use? What triggered it?” Aphrodite continued to question in hopes of finding out the specific details behind Freyja’s worries.

“It was seeing Rossweisse in grave danger.” Freyja answered, “Despite her own prowess and skill with magic, she was ill-equipped to deal with Loki’s aide at the time. If she was to show her face here, I’m certain Olympus would fall so she would perish.”

“So you fear the boy losing himself in that massive power just because he wishes to protect those close to his heart?” Aphrodite surmised.

“He is a kind-hearted young man that has wants and desires like any other. He wants to create the kind of the world where no one has to suffer because of the gift that they have.” Freyja explained, “That is his dream… his goal. It should be something perfectly reasonable that aligns with the goals of all the mythologies in existence.”

“Perhaps a talk with him in person could possibly ease your worries, the more people that know of his troubles, the better he may feel. I think the young man possibly fears the situation with Loki happening again.” Aphrodite suggested.

“Certainly.” Freyja agreed.

“Tell me, would you say that Adrien is in love with Rossweisse?” Aphrodite wondered, Freyja began thinking, Adrien did treat Rossweisse like she was far more important than the whole world and made her feel special, then again, if he was truly in love with the silver haired Valkyrie he wasn’t likely to admit in an open atmosphere.

“Yes, but he is hesitant to express how he truly feels.” Freyja answered.

“Perhaps, after the talks you should provide them with an opportunity to spend time with one another for an extended period.” Aphrodite suggested.

“I shall see what is available for them.” Freyja said, “Thank you for helping me sort through my worries.”


	34. Prospering among Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is brought forth to discuss the Abnormal Gears with those governing Mount Olympus, however despite his display, even he has a dream or goal to work towards.

_Olympus Banquet Hall_

All that represented Asgard were up at the crack of dawn. Everyone from Olympus and those representing Asgard were gathered for a truly grandiose and wonderful celebration!

“I implore everyone to eat, drink and be merry!” Zeus, King of Olympus declared proudly once everyone was seated, “For today is a day to celebrate the union of two wonderful parties joining forces for the foreseeable future!”

Adrien had been lightly talking to Leon about the Abnormal Gears and what Adrien knew of them. Needless to say, the young descendant of Leonidas was amazed at some of the techniques at the Abnormal Gear user’s disposal.

“A theory granting access to endless attacks? Surely you are jesting.” Leon said, after hearing the explanation behind how Ouroboros’ [Unforgiving Chain] worked.

“Even I don’t know whether it’s an assured infinite chain or not. I use it sparingly in case it isn’t.” Adrien confessed with a shrug of his shoulders.

Upon first glance, Adrien was overwhelmed at the colossal size of the banquet hall alone. You could probably house all the giants of Jotunheim in the hall with ease it was that massive. With aid from Leon, he eventually settled in.

“Regarding how to reforge the spear. What’s actually required?” Adrien wondered.

“A massive amount of power, so great that Olympus seems to be unable to provide it.” Leon answered.

“I’ll look into that… I may have something, but it’s not concrete yet.” Adrien stated.

“I appreciate you investing time into its reforging.” Leon commented.

“Hey, Adrien.” Bennia said in a chipper voice, popping up seemingly from thin air, “The stuff you have on the Abnormal Gears, Hades started asking questions about it.”

“If he wanted to know, he shouldn’t have sent a low-ranking Grim Reaper in his stead. If he at least had the curtosy to send say… an Ultimate-Class Grim Reaper and I would have at least thought about it.” Adrien answered sternly, Bennia seemed indifferent, as if expecting the response, in complete contrast to everyone else, who was shocked at the challenge to one of the strongest beings in the world, granted not everyone in Mount Olympus knew the small detail that Adrien was the undefeated myth that resided on that list as well.

“It isn’t wise to challenge Hades.” Zeus pointed out.

“If he wants a direct confrontation with me, then he’ll get one. But know this King Of Olympus, the information I have cannot be passed around without care and I refuse to parlay with someone who has the audacity to not show their face personally to the exchange.” Adrien said, not showing the slightest bit of fear.

“Yeah, I figured as much. I did say it was wishful thinking given the kind of information that could be entailed but he persisted.” Bennia mentioned with a shrug.

After a sigh Adrien spoke up saying, “These talks will always be a pain won’t they? Regardless of the factions involved.”

“Unfortunately, that much is certain.” Hera, Queen of Olympus and wife of Zeus spoke up, “But you’ve conducted yourself well.”

“Perhaps heading to the Spa for a bit, relax your fatigued bones.” Leon suggested.

“I’ll take you up on that offer.” Adrien said with a more than pleased look.

* * *

_Diplomacy Wing Spa_

Just as expected of… well anything in the realm of the Greek gods, the baths and spas were enormous, being able to house every member of the pantheon and many more if needed. In one side was Freyja, Tasha, Rossweisse, Thrúd and Xenovia, the five letting the warmth of the bath sooth their bare skin before continuing with the rest of the day. On the other side was Adrien and Leon, doing the same.

“I’ve never felt so relaxed before.” Xenovia confessed, “This is simply sublime.”

“Truly, all your exhaustion just disappears entirely.” Thrúd commented.

“Are you okay over there Adrien?” Freyja called, getting no answer from the other side.

Adrien in the meantime was thinking back on the situation with Loki. How angry it made him feel when he saw Rossweisse in such a way, how he wanted to end the world as a punishment for making him feel the agony he did because of the possibility that she could have died from her injury. His bloodlust from five years ago couldn’t even come close, and it was implied that the scenario 5 years ago involved his sister’s well-being!

What caused Adrien to cease his thought process was the fact that Leon had left, and Freyja had joined him, frying any cognitive thoughts as he did his best not to look at the Queen of the Valkyries in all her glory. Such a crime would have made Loki’s possible punishment seem like nothing if the Allfather knew of his misconduct.

“You appear troubled again?” Freyja noted, “Is it because of Loki’s scheme?”

Adrien only nodded. “Rossweisse told me that amidst the rage you was fighting for her sake, even if it was with malicious intent. I know you would never wish harm upon her.” Freyja continued.

“I… just wish she never had to see that side of me.” Adrien admitted.

“Rossweisse has only been worried for you. She doesn’t fear you; she never has, she just wants to know that you’re okay.” Freyja stated, positioning herself next to her escort so she could then wrap an arm around him.

“What does it feel like the world is out to get me?” Adrien mumbled, “Is it because I’m a monster?”

“No, you’re not a monster. It is true that your circumstances were far from fair, but you are my precious escort and a certain Valkyrie’s hero.” Freyja said, nurturing her personal guard, who failed to response, when Freyja looked Adrien eye-to-eye, his face was exacerbated a deep shade of crimson and he seemed to have been unable to handle being so close to the definition of beauty in Asgard.

“Leon! You’ll have to help Adrien out.” Freyja called, Leon soon returning to help his newest friend, “(He just needs reassurance, that those he treasures won’t fall in the battle against the Khaos Brigade.)”

* * *

_Diplomacy Wing Suites_

After the first round of talks Rossweisse had requested to specifically talk one to one with Adrien. An anxiety filled atmosphere surrounding the room the two was sharing.

“Why do you always push yourself past your limits?” Rossweisse openly asked, her face portraying a look of concern.

“I… have to… become stronger… become the strongest.” Adrien answered hesitantly.

“Why do you act as if it’s you against the world? You have people here to support you. We’re going to make sure something like what happened with Loki doesn’t happen again.” Rossweisse vowed.

“Because against the highest ranking Abnormal Gears, I have to be the monster that the Khaos Brigade made me.”

“It was my fault you unleashed True Ouroboros! If I had been stronger, you wouldn’t have ended up endangering your own life in the process.” Rossweisse cried out, ever since she was injured against Loki she had been working doubly hard to improve her skills and prowess in her magic, she couldn’t lose a second time, not in the way it happened before, “So please… don’t become that monster… not again.”

“(What if I told you that you were five years too late?)” Adrien pondered, feeling it was much smarter to not openly voice the question on his mind, “I’ll only use True Ouroboros if Shera shows her face again.”

“But you can only use it for five minutes! Anymore, especially in the state you’re in and you’ll die. I couldn’t bare that happening.” Rossweisse cried out, burying herself in Adrien’s chest as she wept.

Adrien thought of saying something in response but then decided against it in favour of just embracing Rossweisse in a tight but warm hug. “(I won’t lose out to True Ouroboros… I can’t. In order to protects those I love; I have to be the strongest.)”


	35. Olympus Has Fallen- Blood in the Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as things were calm, the Khaos Brigade stir up a colossal storm that acts as an allure for The Destroyer. Will Mount Olympus be nothing more than collateral damage or is there hope?

Mount Olympus was now all of a sudden tense, because of one small detail. “We have caught wind of a plan that the Khaos Brigade have in regard to planning a mass invasion of Mount Olympus.” Zeus stated, his voice booming through the throne room, “Fortunately, we have a strategy in place.”

Zeus went over the strategy while in the meantime, Adrien got a communication from a certain ‘Iron Maiden’. “[You gave me quite the surprise before Adrien.]”

“[Shera, you’re back for round two?]” Adrien said coldly, his feelings of hate and anger not completely subsided after what Shera did to Rossweisse.

Shera was in fact approaching Mount Olympus with a massive army of automated Abnormal Gear armors, easily numbering in the thousands, unfortunately Mount Olympus seemed outnumbered, even with the force that Asgard had brought, there was only around two to three thousands soldiers at most.

“[Do you think you can beat me? You only got the better of me before because I was unprepared, and there’s also the fact you can only use True Ouroboros for five minutes at most, and you can’t even use the True King’s Throne either, as far as I’m concerned, I’ve already won.]” Shera taunted with a sinister smile, “[I could have killed your oh so precious Valkyrie if I had struck deeper you know? Perhaps that’s what I will do now.]”

Shera was clearly provoking Adrien, knowing how much it hurt him to see Rossweisse at death’s door but the thought of her actually dying was an entirely different story.

“[You’ll Die… For That]” Adrien said with a dark voice and an empty expression, leaving the throne room as he began reciting the truly forbidden chant.

“[The Undefeated Dragon bound to my will, Abandon all hope in the face of Despair]” Adrien started citing an all too familiar chant.

“[The Invincible Dragon I gave birth to, Rampage as you bathe in the Crimson Sea]” a certain apparition said after taking form beside Adrien as he made his exit, “[The jet-black God Of Infinity]”

“[The jet-black Destroyer who devours the crimson blood of Devils]” the incantation alternated back to Adrien.

“[You shall bear witness to the Rebirth of the Forbidden One we shall become that rewrites the Principles of Life and Death]” both Adrien and the apparition said,

“[Thou shall drown in perpetual despair as we create the concept of Endless Annihilation]”

[**TRUE** **\---** **OUROBOROS!!!**]

Adrien’s aura was just shy of throwing everyone in the throne room around as if they was stuck in a Category 5 hurricane.

“No… Shera’s back.” Tasha said fretfully, knowing fully why Adrien recited the chant for True Ouroboros.

“Wait, that means…” Thrúd began to picture what would happen, “At this rate, Olympus may end up just being collateral damage given the mental state Adrien is in.”

“For now, we need to fend off the rest of the attackers.” Rossweisse said, staying focused despite the perilous situation, “(Adrien… please have some restraint.)”

* * *

_Somewhere else_

The Destroyer was making its approach towards its arch-nemesis. However, the army that was storming Olympus consisted of not just what the Knights of Arcadia were sending but also splintered groups of monsters that had been banded together through the deception of the Khaos Brigade.

The monsters approaching The Destroyer blissfully unaware of its monstrous power, having a snake-like lower body and the upper body of a voluptuous woman, their appearances had shifted into that of a certain silver-haired Valkyrie, causing True Ouroboros to halt its advance. These were Sirens, able to seduce men with their beautiful singing voices and equally beautiful bodies. However, the deception soon fell apart at the sound of…

“[**Heavy Caliber**]” the monstrous amalgamation of a voice that was True Ouroboros uttered. The Destroyer became a crimson arrow and with tremendous force to rival the gods, cleaved the Sirens length-ways in two, their blood soaking the jet-black Destroyer, then it continued its hunt for Shera Northwood, the woman otherwise known as the ‘Iron Maiden’.

It was then that a swarm of half-bird, half maiden creatures appeared, these were harpies armed with lightweight bows and arrows and using their aerial abilities tried to shoot down The Destroyer, but their efforts were for naught as a crimson spear took form once more and tore through the harpies as if they were made of paper. The undefeatable, absolute myth drenched in their blood.

* * *

_Not that far along_

Thrúd, Rossweisse, Bennia and Leon were assembled along with The Last 300 at Leon’s command, they stood ready in case more company arrived. Only to hear the sound of loud rumbling, Leon was the first to see the cause of it.

It had the head and tail of a bull and the body of a human. A singular and a very strong one at that, it appeared it was rampaging as it charged for the force gathered. “Minotaur! Everybody scatter!” Leon called out, himself, Thrúd and Rossweisse scattered in time… the troops? They weren’t so lucky, a large number of them were gored by the Minotaur while the rest fled in terror, “Defend the gods with your lives! I’ll handle the Minotaur”

“Godspeed Chiliarch!” some of the soldiers called out as they began their retreat, having the utmost faith in their commander.

Thrúd and Rossweisse continued their advance, all while in awe at the devastation that True Ouroboros caused, and these monsters weren’t even the intended target, that was solely Shera Northwood, yet the Sirens and Harpies were ripped to pieces in what at the time it had happened must have been a grim shower of blood.

“I heard he caused some serious carnage before but this… this is too personal… I’m feeling physically uncomfortable because of how far this has gone as well as how quick it happened.” Thrúd said, scanning over the shredded corpses of Siren and Harpy alike.

Rossweisse chose to steel herself because she knew that wasn’t all that was attacking Olympus. Stepping into the fray was a young woman of average height with dark skin and a pair of crimson eyes and long brown hair in a ponytail. She was donning what looked to be the standard ‘Dragonlord’ Abnormal Gear, but it was in white and red and seemed to carry a malicious aura about it.

“So you knew I was coming? Good awareness.” The young woman commented.

“I’m guessing your with the Khaos Brigade.” Thrúd assumed.

“You’d be correct. Sonya Gladwyn, commit the name to memory before I take your head.” Sonya stated, charging straight at Thrúd who used her axe to cushion the force behind the surprise attack, granted it was done with such speed it was nigh impossible to perceive.

“(That’s Hyper-Strike, Adrien mentioned it’s weaknesses, but how do I pull off a parry against a foe that moves past the point of perception?)” Thrúd wondered as she kept an eye on her foe who was on the move thanks to Rossweisse barraging them with her magic.


	36. Olympus Has Fallen- Forging a Better Future!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a race against time! True Ouroboros makes its return and now the invasion of Olympus has to be brought under control within a five minute time-frame. What will gave out first?

Leon was dealing with the monstrously powerful Minotaur on his own and it was proving easier said than done. “If only I had the full Spear Of Leonidas… this would have been over in an instant.” Leon cursed, knowing that forging the legendary spear of his ancestor would be naught but a dream at this point.

The Minotaur was barely fazed, using the Spear’s ability to enhance his strength, he had fired multiple arrows into the beast, but it charged forward without being phased in the slightest. “The rest of my equipment is borderline useless.” Leon cursed once more.

The Minotaur roared as it charged towards Leon once more. Leon dove out of the way in the nick of time as the Minotaur slammed into a wall, taking a large chunk out of it with ease.

Then a chunk of that wall was flung into Leon, knocking the wind out of him and forcing blood out. Using the enhanced strength the fragmented spear bestowed him, he threw it back, the Minotaur simply smashed it to small pieces.

* * *

_Elsewhere_

Tasha was assisting in the protection of the legendary Flame of Olympus, her mastery over magic allowed her to distribute her magic evenly so as to not overexert herself, but keeping the flame lit was easier said than done when you had to also keep an eye on how long someone was using their ultimate power for.

Any stray forces that managed to slip past the fighting were dealt with handily by Xenovia

“(Two and a half minutes gone… he’ll not last at this rate.)” Tasha said fearfully, “If only we had more numbers, this needs to end within the next two to three minutes.”

Freyja understood why this was such a dire situation, “I can’t seem to get word through to Asgard, the enemy must be sabotaging our means of communications.” Freyja noticed.

“Keep trying Queen of Asgard. We’ll do what we can to keep the enemies back.” Zeus proclaimed, trying to manage the lack of morale.

“I’ll hold the line! I know everyone else will be fine.” Xenovia reassured everyone, fighting with a never-ending amount of vigour.

* * *

_Sonya Gladwyn vs. Thrúd & Rossweisse_

While Rossweisse was more-or-less unscathed, Thrúd had taken the full brunt of the assault from their adversary, her armor cut up and a few minor cuts that had gotten through.

“For the daughter of the Norse God of Thunder, I expected more from you. Very well, I’ll end this with the next attack.” Sonya announced, once again using [Hyper-Strike] the same technique she had used to litter Thrúd with so many injuries.

It was at this point, that Thrúd remembered something…

* * *

_Just after the Kuoh Summit_

_“So if that [Hyper-Strike] technique is able to make the user move beyond perception, how is it you can block it so easily?” Thrúd asked, wanting to train to figure out how to parry the attack. _

_“Hyper-Strike itself is a magic-based attack. If you can sense the flow of its magic, you’ll be able to pinpoint the location of your opponent when they use it.” Adrien explained, “My case is slightly different because I was the original inventor of the technique, anyone else who claims to have mastered it… is nowhere near doing so.”_

* * *

_Present Day_

Thrúd began to focus and began looking for the flow of magic and despite her doubt at the trick working, it in fact worked to perfection, Sonya tried to attack Thrud from behind, but she brought her axe behind her to block it.

“Impossible!” Sonya started, getting cut off by a brutal backhand, sending her crashing to the ground but the Abnormal Gear user wasn’t done yet.

“You act surprised when the guy I take orders from is the one who made that technique, so don’t go acting surprised if you lose.” Thrúd stated confidently.

“It doesn’t matter who leads you. You’ll still die!” Sonya stated, charging Thrúd head on, only to be pummelled by a fiery barrage of magic from Rossweisse, interrupting the attack.

“If we are to die, it won’t be against you.” Rossweisse firmly stated, her hands crackling with magic.

* * *

_While this was happening…_

Shera had the [**Primordial Shell- Hallowed God Form**] ready to face off against True Ouroboros with, this time she knew Adrien had this power and she wasn’t about to lose a second time.

There it was… the monster that was considered an undefeatable, absolute myth known as The Destroyer was standing before her, drenched in the blood of its enemies. “I do wonder how long that invincible power will hold out for in tandem with your physical health, I can’t imagine it being long. So either way, your loved ones will die!”

True Ouroboros and the Hallowed God charged, a fateful, terror-imbued clash began. Shera started her offensive by sending a colossal punch at The Destroyer.

“_There Is Nothing In Your Ideal Future_.” Those words Emmanuel said replayed in the back of his mind like a video recording, it then became distorted and morphed into a hideous, malevolent emotion that threatened to incinerate his heart.

“(So she’s the same as my brother… I’ll kill her here and now!)” Adrien said, resolving his will, he then calculated a method that would guarantee the end of Shera’s life.

“[**Shattering Cannon**]” Adrien unleashed the full force of True Ouroboros’ unstable power and met the colossal punch with a resounding bang and an epic clash that shook Olympus as well as destroying much of the surrounding area.

With the [Shattering Cannon] enhanced by True Ouroboros, it should have done more than enough damage to defeat Shera, but it appeared she had the means to scatter her [Hallowed God] armor and repair it at will.

“I almost forgot about the side-effect of the Hallowed God form.” Shera noted, “If it receives fatal damage it deconstructs itself and then repairs itself after safely dispelling the damage.”

Suddenly, Shera was hit with a crimson glow and her movement was halted, “My body... it’s immobilised?”

“I activated [**Heavy Caliber**] the moment you deconstructed the armor, with the effect of an altered perception of time added to Gorynych’s Sin.” Adrien explained.

The strange phenomenon which was a ‘compressed’ perception of time that lasted five seconds, caused the strength of the target to decrease sharply until it was a fragment of its original strength. Then in the next five seconds, that ‘compressed’ strength was released.

One of the hidden secrets of Ouroboros that was strengthened by the power of True Ouroboros had caused that surge of strength to increase upwards of ten times the original amount, forcing that strength to cause a ‘swelling’ feeling.

Shera was now very wary of [**Heavy** **Caliber**], because she didn’t expect that this ability could be applied to her instead of Adrien himself. The time of Gorynych’s Sin’s body including Shera herself had been altered so it had decelerated. The deconstructed armor couldn’t return to normal.

Adrien wasn’t about to overlook this opportunity, “[**Unforgiving Chain**]”

After the application of the full power of [Heavy Caliber] on Shera and the fact her movement had ceased. Adrien’s serrated blade struck, hundreds of consecutive attacks without the slightest moment of pause, the theoretical method to unleash an infinite ‘chain’ of attacks, were driven into the Abnormal Gear’s armor.

“Hahh! No matter how many times you pile up such weak, pitiful slashes, you won’t be able to break through my Abnormal Gear.” Shera declared, acting as if she’d won, when it was in fact the opposite.

“I already told you… You’d Die… For That.” Adrien indifferently told a fearlessly grinning Shera. One of the hidden techniques, [Unforgiving Chain] had finished within five seconds, Adrien was simply glaring at Shera coldly.

“I altered the perception of time, so you’re not receiving any damage.” Adrien continued.

In other words, what Adrien was saying was… the impact of hundreds of consecutive attacks until now was concentrated onto a single point, now that [Heavy Caliber] was in the second phase, all of that attack power would flood in at once.

Shera realised that and was far too late to do anything to prevent this. “NOoOoOOOOOoOOOOoOOOOOO!” she shrieked, along with her Abnormal Gear, she was sent backward at a speed that none could perceive. At the same time, the parts of twelve Abnormal Gear armors were severed from Hallowed God’s control, scattering around the area.

Adrien was about to search for Shera to finish the job, only to cough up blood, which stuck to his palm like a putrid, adhesive chemical. He was feeling great exhaustion, he had reached the five minute safe-zone for True Ouroboros. Unfortunately, because of that limit, it was a paper thin victory, No. Less than that…

“If I don’t end Shera once and for all, I’ll-‘’ Adrien started, his coughing started up again, his breathing beginning to get erratic because he was pushing himself beyond the safety zone.

“If I don’t kill Shera… then Rossweisse, Thrúd, Xenovia, even Freyja… Everyone will suffer.” Adrien said, expressing his reason to no one as to why he was still donning True Ouroboros. But could his body handle the strain?


	37. Olympus Has Fallen- A Valkyrie’s Plea to a Bloodthirsty Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the fighting cools down, Adrien is left with a choice: 
> 
> To let live and possibly create tragedy in the future or to kill and prevent the tragedy.
> 
> But what is the correct choice to make?

The fighting between Sonya Gladwyn and Thrúd had gotten fierce, the daughter of Thor was now fighting on par with the Abnormal Gear user because she had managed to perfect how to counter the [Hyper Strike] technique.

“Eat this!” Thrúd unleashed a torrent of lightning from her axe, however Sonya was prepared.

“[**Dragon’s Howl**]” Suddenly, a barrier appeared in front of Sonya, deflecting the attack towards an unsuspecting Rossweisse. It seemed the attack had done heavy damage to Rossweisse but when the smoke from the blast, Rossweisse was completely unscathed.

“A friend told me to ‘think of a counter-attack’ for any possible scenario.” Rossweisse said with a proud smile, remembering some advice Adrien gave her around the same time Thrúd had received hers. Then the redirected lighting was flung straight into Sonya with amplified power, breaking the barrier and causing severe damage.

“Damn the both of you!” Sonya cursed, charging Rossweisse again, only to be cut down by Thrúd, who stumbled and fell, clearly exhausted from what felt like an eternity fighting the Abnormal Gear user.

“Thrúd! Are you okay?” Rossweisse approached to help her friend to her feet, but another lady made her appearance, not one of Asgard or Olympus either. It was a blonde lady with the outfit that had the beauty of a noblewoman and the utility of a merchant’s work clothes, “Um… you are?”

“Claudia Merchand, a friend of Adrien’s” Claudia answered, “That appeared to be an enhanced version of the Dragonlord Abnormal Gear, you did well to beat it. Now let’s leave the other pleasantries for later and get you out of harm’s way.” 

“But Adrien… he used that form again.” Rossweisse mentioned, changing Claudia’s calm expression to one of concern.

“Then it appears we’ll have to find him before he finds Shera.” Claudia said, with Thrúd out of energy, they couldn’t all just sprint there, so it would be a matter of chance in regard to whether or not Adrien would reach Shera first or not.

* * *

_Leon vs. Minotaur_

Leon and the Minotaur had both sustained heavy damage as a result of their intense fight. The Minotaur's sturdy body littered with stab wounds and cuts. Leon on the other hand had ditched his chestplate because of it nearly caving inwards.

“I think I have your movements in check big guy.” Leon said, his vision slightly hazy.

When the Minotaur charged towards Leon, Bennia appeared from one of her portals. She had left Thrúd and Rossweisse while confident they would be fine, Bennia had slashed the Achilles’ heel of the Minotaur, forcing it to a knee. “Hey, what ya standing around for?” Bennia asked, “End it”

Leon charged, using the Spear of Leonidas to impale the Minotaur’s throat and then twisted, upon removing the spear, the Minotaur was left to choke on its own blood. Bennia decided to stay with Leon given he had taken quite a pummelling from the Minotaur.

“Good to know you had my back.” Leon stated nonchalantly, almost toppling over from his injuries.

“Yeah, well unlike Hades. I want us to get along with the other factions.” Bennia said.

“So… what now?” Leon asked, it seemed odd that the enemy force had yet to descend upon them, had they fled when their commander was defeated? Or was it simply a small force and the Khaos Brigade was bluffing?

“Best be on our guard, don’t need a blade through the back because we wasn’t careful.” Bennia suggested, constantly looking out for any enemies whether it was from the air or the ground.

* * *

_Meanwhile_

Shera was reduced to an exhausted state, barely able to stand, she tried running as far as she could to try and evade her enemies. There was no doubt that she could end up dying as a result of her injuries.

Things were silent, which Shera took as a sign that she was in the clear for now… However, The Destroyer had caught up to her. Shera was backed into a pillar, reduced to a sitting stance.

“NOOOOO!” Shera screamed in terror, “PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! STOP IT ALREADY! SAVE ME!”

The girl who had already lost her strength and became a powerless shell of a human being was being suffocated by the feeling of true fear. Adrien grimaced at the sight.

It was her just desert, given what she made Adrien go through. This was the payment that would be dished out in response to endangering the life of a loved one. Even if some part of Adrien decided not to end Shera’s life here, he knew all too well that she could recover and then try again…

It was something Adrien couldn’t afford. Adrien’s blade was pointed not even inches from Shera’s neck as she was paralysed out of a new fear of death. A vicious scowl adorned his face as he was reminded of the torment Shera put him through.

True Ouroboros could be heard chanting “Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.” As if it were a dystopian yet harmonic rhythm.

“Adrien! Do not hurt Shera anymore!” Freyja called out, “She’ll be much more useful alive than dead.”

Then a muscle-tearing throbbing began gnawing at Adrien’s heart as now it felt his entire body was chanting that harmonic, dystopian rhythm that True Ouroboros was. “Stay… Out… Of…This… You… Naïve… WHORE!” Adrien demanded, shocking Freyja with the tone he used against her of all people, “I have to do this. There is… no other option. If this girl won’t stop of her own will, then there is only **One** course of action to take.”

Adrien then erased any presence of emotion and stared at Shera maliciously.

“Please! Save Me!” Shera pleaded in perpetual terror, “Don’t kill me! It shouldn’t be like this… I had no other choice, but to do this! I’ll do anything! I’m begging you!”

“You’ll do anything…” Adrien recited, before True Ouroboros gained complete control, “[**Then Perish**]”

Adrien raised the black, serrated blade up to tear Shera asunder. However, a gentle, soft hand took hold of one his own, despite his blood-drenched appearance. “You mustn’t Adrien.” A familiar, soft, soothing voice stated.

Rossweisse, who alongside Thrúd had managed to defeat Sonya Gladwyn, who had used an enhanced Abnormal Gear to try and get the better hand against those guarding Olympus was holding Adrien’s hand, completely disregarding the blood dripping off his armor onto her hand. “Look, I’m okay. We even managed to defeat an Abnormal Gear user, while it wasn’t one of Shera’s caliber, we still managed to pull it off and we’re still alive to tell the tale.”

Just hearing this, completely dissolved any tension in Adrien’s body. “Claudia, deal with Shera’s apprehension. If it’s you-‘’ It was at that moment that Adrien collapsed, True Ouroboros’ armor completely disappearing. Adrien collapsed right into Rossweisse’s arms as she embraced her precious hero who had been on the verge of becoming the worst monster in existence.


	38. The Calm After The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things have calmed down and Rossweisse is given a chance to ponder about Adrien's dreams while talking with Claudia Merchand. But behind the scenes, an unknown force calls for polar opposites to ally with one another to push back the oncoming tide. 
> 
> This is the End of Arc 6- Olympus Uprising

Mount Olympus barely survived, but thanks to Shera’s sudden defeat at the hands of Adrien, the massive army she had simply retreated, making it a decisive victory for those residing in Mount Olympus despite the losses.

Adrien was left with a fever after he had gone a minute or two over the safe limit of True Ouroboros. Rossweisse taking care of him while he recuperated and made sure to clear the blood that had poured onto him from the attack. However, Rossweisse noticed the troubled expression on Adrien’s face.

“Are you feeling worse than before?” Rossweisse pondered with concern.

“No… it’s just.” Adrien started, trying to piece the image together, “I had a dream… it… involved you… in a wedding dress and I think… we had children, two specifically.”

Rossweisse’s face with blushing profusely, for her precious hero to have the desire of raising a family with her as well as be married left her feeling even happier than before.

“It started around the Loki situation, when I went on a rampage. Someone showed me it and it stuck to me since.” Adrien explained.

“I…see” Rossweisse replied, still in shock, “(Is that what he dreams of? To have a loving wife and family? But with me? Surely not.)” Rossweisse’s inexperience with men began to harbour a sense of self-doubt in her, regardless of how far Adrien would go for her to be happy.

“Shall I go tell the others your awake?” Rossweisse asked, however Adrien seemed to avoid the question entirely.

“I couldn’t kill Shera.” Adrien realised, “Perhaps I am just as naïve as what Emmanuel thinks. I don’t have the resolve to kill those deemed evil. Something like achieving the ideal that I wish for… it’s… impossible, because I don’t have the resolve.”

“You don’t want to kill people do you?” Rossweisse hoped.

“(_You have no idea how much I want to_)” Adrien said to himself, deciding it was better that Rossweisse didn’t hear that. However, Adrien couldn’t keep himself from letting tears slip away from his eyes.

At the time, Shera was completely defenceless, not having the fortitude to invoke her Abnormal Gear again. All he could hear was that dystopian chanting where he was constantly being told to kill Shera, even the scarring memory of seeing Rossweisse cut open trying to stop Loki from causing Ragnarok and Adrien nearly caused it himself in response to her peril.

“Everything will be fine. Because just like how you protect me, I’ll protect you.” Rossweisse said, embracing Adrien a warm hug. It became apparent that moments like these were what Adrien needed the most, “I shall see if it can procure some food for you.”

With that Rossweisse left the room, making sure to wear a peculiar bracelet that she had meticulously worked on during her time in Olympus.

* * *

_Not far from the Olympus Banquet Hall_

Rossweisse had crossed paths with Claudia, who was hoping to get the aid of those residing in Mount Olympus and Asgard in one fell swoop. “It appears you’re after a certain man’s attention.” Claudia said, glancing at the bracelet, “Although I’m just judging by the love charm on your hand.”

“Um… well…” Rossweisse stammered, her face flushed red with embarrassment and shame.

“Given the effort you’ve gone to make it. It somewhat pains me to say that Adrien is actually inherently unaffected by those sorts of things.”

Rossweisse was in total disbelief at this discovery. All her hard work on trying to make an Olympian Love Charm all for naught, she was furious… she spent an incalculable amount of time trying to figure out how they worked all for it to culminate into this.

“As a sign of good faith. Here.” Claudia then said, handing Rossweisse a small picture in a photo frame. It was a younger Adrien sat timidly in-between Claudia who was situated to the left of him and on the right was a girl Rossweisse wasn’t familiar with, “The Knights of Arcadia was a group that did the right thing, until Emmanuel put his foot down.”

Rossweisse held the picture as if it was a sacred treasure, all her eyes were focused on was the younger, adorable Adrien situated in the center of the picture. “Thank you. I’ll treasure it.” Rossweisse said.

“I’m sure you will.” Claudia replied, “After all, it is clear you two are meant for one another.”

“D-Does Adrien really think that highly of me?” Rossweisse pondered.

“I don’t exactly know what he thinks of you given that it’s been a rather long time since we’ve seen one another but I’m sure his opinion of you is far from negative.” Claudia answered, Rossweisse feeling somewhat reassured about her feelings towards Adrien.

* * *

_Meanwhile _

Adrien and Arthur could communicate to each other through communication magic as long as it was an emergency so for Arthur to contact Adrien meant something big was going to happen. “The Lady of The Lake wishes to speak to us.” Arthur stated.

“What on earth for?” Adrien said, “I know of the Lady of the Lake but what does she want with us. I thought she was just a caretaker-like spirit that watches over the Lake.”

“No, she’s something of a clairvoyant. Me and you aren’t the only ones.” Arthur mentioned, “She included the current Red Dragon Emperor, Vali and your sister as well as Le Fay.”

“(Issei and Vali are at odds so if those two will have to work together than things are going to go a lot worse from here. In that case I need to get stronger.)” Adrien thought, “As long as it’s not immediate then we’re okay because I’m bedridden at the moment.”

“She just said to me that we need to see her.” Arthur answered, “I’d best leave you to rest if you are unwell.”

“Oh, can’t I speak to him Arthur?” a more than energetic Le Fay pleaded.

“I did just say he was unwell Le Fay.” Arthur scolded.

“Let Le Fay talk, I’m not as sick as you imply.” Adrien requested; Arthur caved as he sighed in the background.

“Hey! How’ve ya been?” Le Fay said cheerfully.

“Something’s won’t ever change.” Adrien quipped.

“Nope! I make sure everyone is smiling along with me.” Le Fay stated.

“I’m with Asgard right now, helping establish ties to Mount Olympus. What have you been doing?” Adrien said.

“Not much, just the usual training Fenrir so we don’t have to rely on Arthur using Excalibur Ruler. Other than that, Vali just said we need to get stronger and that’s it.” Le Fay answered, “Apparently, we’ll get to see each other again soon. I can’t wait!”

“Let’s hope we’ll get see each other often in the future.” Adrien said, “I’d bet get back to resting otherwise I’ll get it in the neck.”

“Kay, Bye.” Le Fay said her farewell, the communication spell no longer active.

Thrúd had decided to pay a visit to Adrien and had walked in on the end of the conversation, “Please tell me you wasn’t talking to members of the Khaos Brigade.” She said.

“No, I was talking with family.” Adrien said firmly, “I’ve already made it clear to the Underworld that any threat to Arthur or Le Fay is provoking a war against me. I will make it clear through action if you choose to go after them.”

“So you’ll risk ruining everything we just worked for?” Thrúd questioned.

“Unlike you, I had to work to hell and back just to survive. I had nothing until Arthur and Le Fay found me.” Adrien began ranting.

“Sorry… it’s just I don’t want things to be undone when we’ve done so much good for the world.” Thrúd said apologetically.

“It’s okay. Anyway, Vali isn’t an active ally within the Khaos Brigade, he’s using them to his own benefit, once he’s done he’ll strike out on his own.” Adrien explained.

“That’s something of a relief. I heard he’s incredibly powerful and when he fought Issei he was barely trying in the entire fight.” Thrúd mentioned, “Anyway, how’s the braid?”

“Huh?” Adrien felt his hair and noticed just off to the left side part of his hair was braided four times, indicating his victories up to this point. “When did that happen?”

“I noticed Rossweisse doing so while you were sleeping.” Thrúd answered casually, then a mischievous grin surfaced, “You know there is a certain message having a woman braiding a warrior’s hair that is conveyed in Norse Culture. Typically implying lots of affection.”

Adrien’s exacerbated face was the prize of such teasing by Thrúd, even without Kara, she was troublesome when it came to such teasing. An odd atmosphere then enveloped the room, “Thrúd, how long do you think this will take? Bringing everyone together to make the world a peaceful place.” Adrien asked.

“I honestly couldn’t tell you.” Thrúd answered, “But I have complete trust knowing that you have my back and vice versa. Now that I know about the Tyrant Massacre, I think I can whole-heartedly trust you because we both know that you didn’t do it for the sake of being the bad guy.”

“Thanks… I appreciate that you’ll look deeper into the picture.” Adrien said, him and Thrúd sharing the kind of embrace that family would have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going to be taking a break for a bit. Starting to feel burnt out because of the effort I'm putting in so I can get this story done to the best of my ability.
> 
> But don't worry, I will be back to finish it and I am grateful to the people who took the time to read this work and even comment on it.


	39. Interlude Chapter 1- Arthur & Le Fay Pendragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This arc consists of various smaller moments that while not carrying as much weight as other arcs, still have a certain sense of importance to the overall story.
> 
> This first one is a meeting with the Lady Of The Lake, with help from Arthur and Le Fay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being gone for a while. Now I'm back and good to go, hopefully I can keep the ball rolling for a good bit.

** Highschool DxD- Undefeated Dragon Ouroboros **

** Interlude Chapter 1- Arthur & Le Fay Pendragon **

_Brocéliande (Paimpont Forest), France_

“So why are we in the middle of a forest in France?” Issei asked, travelling with Adrien through the mystifying forest associated with Arthurian Legend.

“When we meet with Arthur, everything will be explained. Just so you know, Vali is here as well but the rest of his team aren’t here. I was only told that you needed to be here when everyone mentioned meets.” Adrien explained.

“And no perverted thoughts about the Lady Of The Lake.” Tasha firmly stated.

“Yes Ma’am.” Issei said, not wanting to get on Tasha’s bad side.

Eventually, Issei, Adrien and Tasha came across a large lake. Standing in front of it was Vali, Arthur and Le Fay. “This is everyone.” Arthur stated, “All the Lady of the Lake has told me is that we need to be here. The rest will be revealed in time.”

“Hey Brother!” Le Fay greeted, cheerfully hugging Adrien who reciprocated the gesture, then Le Fay hugged Tasha, who also returned the gesture, “And sister too. It’s great to see the two of you!”

“It’s good to see you too Le Fay.” Adrien replied with a smile.

“(Oh yeah, I almost forgot how those four are all intertwined)” Issei realised.

“It is good that everyone has gathered here.” A feminine, mystifying voice stated. Out from the lake rose a beautiful woman with dark hair and beautiful aqua colored eyes wearing a silk dress. Issei found himself lost in just how beautiful the woman was, but scalded himself when everyone bowed, including Vali. The woman signalled for everyone to raise their heads.

“What is it you request of us. Lady of the Lake?” Arthur questioned.

“A divine beast approaches this world fast. Those of you gathered here are likely the only ones that can prevent it from conquering this world and any other.” The Lady of the Lake stated.

“What exactly are we up against? Is it the Khaos Brigade?” Issei asked, completely confused by what the woman before him was saying.

“Know that it is an entity that is bent on conquering all worlds. While actively subjugating those beneath it.” Was the response Issei got.

“(Not what I was hoping for)” Issei cursed in the back of his mind.

“With all due respect, but are you aware of the fact some of us gathered are on opposite sides?” Vali pointed out.

“You raise a valid point White Dragon Emperor. But one day you will find a reason to trust those you may call enemies now.” The Lady of the Lake answered firmly.

“When will this ‘Divine-Beast’ as you call it reveal itself.” Issei asked.

“Don’t bother answering that one Milady, I know who you speak of.” Adrien piped in, “Issei, she’s talking about my brother. He has an Abnormal Gear referred to as ‘The Divine Beast, Tachyon’.”

“Oh, the guy that’s in theory the strongest being in existence. We need a miracle to beat that guy.” Issei pointed out, not feeling to confident in his chances.

“Have faith in yourself and those gathered here, and you Will Succeed.” The Lady of the Lake stated as her last bit of advice, “I have given my warning. I bid you farewell.”

Everyone gathered bowed one more time. With the Lady of the Lake’s departure, the stakes in the fight against the Khaos Brigade had gotten far greater than they ever were before.

** End of Interlude Chapter 1 **


	40. Interlude Chapter 2- Tasha Freeman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien questions his morals while discussing his health in the wake of multiple activation of True Ouroboros.

_Asgard_

Adrien was spectating a training session that Thrúd decided to have with Kara. It was unfortunate that Adrien had missed Kara becoming a full-fledged Valkyrie but at least watching over her training every so often should in theory make up for that.

“How are things going? I hope you haven’t been too strenuous in what you’re doing, you’ll have to make sure not to strain your body too soon because of True Ouroboros.” Tasha asked.

“I’ve not been helping in Kara’s training if that’s what your concerned about, Thrúd decided to take up that task.” Adrien answered.

“I just hope we don’t get a scenario like Mount Olympus anytime soon. You could’ve done damage beyond repair because of True Ouroboros.” Tasha pleaded, Adrien was close to ten minutes when he used True Ouroboros on Mount Olympus and it was thankfully not too much damage dealt to himself in the process.

“Yet, with the power of Ophis… I couldn’t deal the final blow.” Adrien said solemnly, “In the end, I’m just the naïve child my brother thinks I am. I don’t have the conviction to destroy evil.”

“But if you did, you may have lost yourself in True Ouroboros. You have too much to live for to let that happen. If I lose you, I’ll be alone, so will Rossweisse and the others, they’ll have no one to lead them.” Tasha pointed out.

“But she had to pay… for what she did.” Adrien mentioned, Rossweisse’s injury still in his mind.

“I know you wanted to make her pay, but there was too much to lose to let it happen.” Tasha said, “Besides, I know Claudia will work to make sure Shera sees the error of her ways.”

“But what do I do when the time comes to face my brother? If I don’t kill him, we all lose.” Adrien wondered.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. But if it gets to a point where you wish to end Emmanuel’s life… I won’t stop you.” Tasha stated.

* * *

_The following day at Kuoh Academy_

Tasha was with Rias and Akeno as the three conversed in the Occult Research Club. “So I heard things got pretty rough in Mount Olympus I hope no one died as a result.” Rias mentioned.

“No one died, but Adrien had to use True Ouroboros again… But the worst part is that he almost lost himself in it. Out of revenge for what Shera did to Rossweisse when Loki tried causing Ragnarok.” Tasha answered back, obviously concerned for her brother.

“He just needs time with Rossweisse and I’m sure he’ll hopefully get past it and confess his feelings towards her.” Akeno stated reassuringly.

“Tell me Tasha, what is it you want to accomplish in life?” Rias requested.

“I’ll be fine as long I get to see my brother living a happy life. Regardless of whether I get the same treatment or not, I’ll be happy as long as my brother is living happily.” Tasha explained.

“You know that’s easier said than done don’t you?” Akeno pointed out, “With him being a known fugitive and the person behind the moniker of ‘The Destroyer’, the Underworld has been in a frenzy since.”

“I know it will take a while, but my brother will redeem himself. Even if it costs him his life.” Tasha stated firmly, “Of that I have no doubt.”

** End of Interlude Chapter 2 **


	41. Interlude Chapter 3- Bennia & Leon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bennia and Leon find Adrian in a somewhat gloomy state, but their personalities help him cope with what he has had to endure during more recent events.

It was a calm day for Adrien, a lovely afternoon where he could relax and be at peace, at least that’s how he’d normally spend his day. Adrien was looking at his reflection in the mirror in a nearby bathroom. While things seemed normal, Adrien knew that in the background the Avatar for True Ouroboros was most likely snickering in the background, he had used the forbidden, diabolical power far too many times recently and he needed to reign in his more destructive side.

“(I know I’m slipping further down the path of insanity. While I managed to escape it before, I can only run so far before I reach a dead end.)” Adrien said to himself.

Much to Adrien’s surprise a familiar face appeared from thin air. It was the upbeat, outgoing Grim Reaper Bennia. “Hey, what’s with the self-pity? We should be smiling.” Bennia said in an oh-so-cheerful manner.

“I doubt people would be smiling if someone just barged in on them like this” Leon said in the background.

“He-“ Bennia started as she was dragged back into the portal.

* * *

_Meanwhile _

“Given that he seemed deep in thought it was rude of you to suddenly pop in unannounced.” Leon scaled, not too aggressive with the comment either as he was readily familiar with Bennia’s personality and tricks.

“I feel my purpose in life is to make sure everyone around me is smiling. That’s why I want to continue aiding Adrien, because regardless of his endgame, if he is smiling genuinely at the end of it. I’ll have done my job well.” Bennia stated.

“I understand what you mean but you can’t jump the gun.” Leon reminded, “Intervening could make things worse than they actually are.”

From the other side of the portal, they heard Adrien chuckling.

“I understand what you was trying to do and I’m thankful for it. I’ve little reason to be smiling most days.” Adrien confessed.

* * *

_Later on_

Adrien, Leon and Bennia were grouped together in Adrien and Tasha’s residence. Just enjoying one another’s company as friends do. “So tell me a bit about Kuoh Academy. You know, the school you teach at.” Leon suggested for a conversation topic.

“It’s certainly an intriguing place to be, given it houses its fair share of devils, both pure-blood and reincarnated. It’s certainly far from the ordinary.” Adrien replied.

“Sounds like fun, I might join in.” Bennia quipped, “I’ll probably learn something new anyway.”

“(At least Bennia is tolerable. If it was Kara and Thrúd, I wouldn’t be able to handle it.)” Adrien thought with a smile.

It was then that Adrien received a call from Issei, “Hey, Issei. What’s wrong?” Adrien greeted.

** End of Interlude Chapter 3 **


	42. Interlude Chapter 4- Issei Hyoudou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Issei request help from Adrien in improving his usage of the Boosted Gear. What results shall come of it?

“Adrien, I’m gonna need some help. I’ve been trying to figure out more versatile ways of using the Boosted Gear, but I haven’t got anything. Any ideas?” Issei asked.

“What about combining the power of the Boosted Gear with the Evil Pieces to see if the Sacred Gear evolves in some way?” Adrien suggested.

“Well Ajuka implied that because I used the Juggernaut Drive twice that it’s possible I have multiple mutation Evil Pieces, but he hasn’t confirmed it yet.” Issei mentioned.

“Perhaps we should use our Balance Breakers and see if we can draw out that power.” Adrien suggested, “With enough power being thrown out it could influence the Boosted Gear.”

“Is that possible Ddraig?” Issei asked his proverbial mentor, just to confirm the theory.

“[Not impossible as far as Boosted Gear Users are concerned.]” Ddraig answered, “[If enough power is used, it could very well cause the Boosted Gear to respond to it as if it is two dragons challenging one another.]”

* * *

_Mountainside, Underworld_

Issei and Adrien had donned their Balance Breakers and were ready to go for a round of sparring in an attempt to awaken Issei’s potential. “So what’s the game plan?” Issei wondered.

“Probably sounds stupid but we’ll just throw as much power out as possible and see if it causes a reaction.” Adrien suggested with a shrug, “I’m honestly just improvising because I know nothing about the specifics behind the Evil Pieces.”

“You think this will work Ddraig?” Issei wondered, “I’m starting to have doubts.”

“[As am I but stranger things have happened, such as your Balance Breaker coming from your perverted desires.]” Ddraig commented, “[Just do what you can, if something happens, then that’s good for the both of us, if not, we’ll just keep thinking on it.]”

“Let’s get to it then.” Issei said, charging forward to go on the offensive. Adrien responded by charging in as well, the two began to clash, Issei seemed a lot better at evading the attacks thrown by Adrien but he was still at a disadvantage because of the severe power gap.

“Push it Issei or we’ll not get anywhere.” Adrien stated, sending Issei plummeting into the ground below.

Issei quickly responded by boosting his power many times, the Balance Breaker removing the cooldown on how often Issei could boost his power. “Ddraig, transfer power to Ascalon.” Issei suggested after Ddraig called for [**Transfer**], Issei charged up a powerful Dragon shot and sent it towards Adrien.

“[**Shattering** **Cannon**]” Adrien unleashed a short, controlled blast of the unstable energy that True Ouroboros used towards Issei, the ongoing blast enveloping Issei, “(I hope I didn’t overdo it with the Shattering Cannon.)”

When the dust settled, Issei’s Balance Breaker was in black and red, similar to Ouroboros’ armor. “(Seems like he either absorbed Ouroboros’ power or it’s the Boosted Gear responding to it. But it seems incomplete.)”

Issei could feel the power from Ouroboros flowing through him at an alarming rate, but he could tell he wasn’t in any danger. The Balance Breaker began shedding excess armor, allowing for such high speed that Adrien needed [**Heavy Caliber**] to keep up. Then it transformed again, taking on a heavy hitting, bulky armor that hits had tremendous force to them.

Once Issei hit the ground, the Balance Breaker transformed once more, going back to its regular appearance and instead bringing forth two powerful shoulder cannons. The two cannons took time to charge up, but they fired an immensely powerful version of Issei’s [**Dragon** **Shot**] that warped Time and Space for a split-second upon colliding with a second burst from the [**Shattering** **Cannon**].

“Well that was different.” Adrien said, wiping a bead of sweat from his face. Issei however toppled over completely exhausted.

“You can… say that again.” Issei replied, between exhausted breaths.

“Well this helped both of us. Your progressing with the Boosted Gear and I’m able to practice using the Shattering Cannon in a safer way.” Adrien mentioned, Issei didn’t bother to respond so he could focus on resting, “(We all need to get A LOT stronger, if my brother attacks we won’t have a chance.)”

** End of Interlude Chapter 4 **


	43. Interlude Chapter 5- Rossweisse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Rossweisse try to evade the watchful eyes of their peers as they spend time trying to get closer than they currently are. How will such an endeavor play out.

_Asgard_

While Rossweisse had no reason to be in Asgard given how occupied everyone was in Midgard. She at least got to spend time with a certain someone, without anyone knowing. “Where did you have in mind?” Rossweisse asked.

“It’s just down the road from here if what Vidar said is true.” Adrien answered.

The two were in a much more casual get up, no need for smart and fancy clothing as it was simply a casual day out where everything started form them.

Unbeknownst to the two, they were in fact being followed. A certain blonde haired valkyrie peered around the corner, a couple of familiar faces appeared around the corner as well. “No mere escort but a secret romantic acquaintance perhaps?” Xenovia guessed.

“Interesting.” Thrúd noted, in all the years she’d been a friend of Rossweisse, not once had a man glanced at her and remarked her beauty until Adrien came along. In Thrúd’s case it was expected because she was Thor’s own daughter, with Rossweisse… men just seemed to avoid her for unknown reasons.

“Bennia, make sure we are hidden but somewhere that we can see them clearly.” Thrúd instructed.

“Ya know they’ll be either embarrassed or annoyed that someone was spying on them.” Leon pointed out, getting dragged along because of Bennia, much to his chagrin, “We should have the decency to let them be and enjoy one another’s company.”

“Nah, it’s more fun to see how things go.” Thrúd and Bennia said simultaneously, earning a simple sigh from Leon.

“It’s on your head if we get spotted.” Leon stated in defeat.

* * *

_Later on_

“I’m starting to second guess this.” Rossweisse admitted, wobbling slightly as Adrien carefully and slowly guided her onto the ice.

“Just hold on to me. I’ll make sure you won’t fall.” Adrien stated calmly. When Rossweisse was on the ice she wobbled again, falling into Adrien, who kept his balance, but his face lit up red with her… assets pressing against his chest. “(This is bad! If she notices I’m having those kind of thoughts, it will ruin everything.)”

It had become apparent that Adrien was quite experienced in Ice Skating as he gently guided Rossweisse along the ice. “I hope the braiding I did for you hasn’t troubled you. Lady Freyja thought it necessary as you are an honorary member of Asgard’s forces.” Rossweisse mentioned.

“It’s fine. I’m aware you did it while I was resting but next time some heads up would be okay.” Adrien replied, “Although I’m more than certain the braids are for Einherjar only.”

“No, it’s for warriors in general, Einherjar or not.” Rossweisse clarified.

* * *

_Meanwhile_

“Come on Leon, let me see. I want to know if things are going well.” Bennia eagerly requested.

“No, if we get caught, the both of them will skin us alive.” Leon pointed out, “If I can’t convince you to leave them be, the least I can do I keep you from getting into trouble.”

“It appears they are doing well. Things seem to be where they should be.” Xenovia concluded.

“Still, I just need to know… (If they are truly happy with one another)” Thrúd started, not finishing her comment. In all the time she knew Rossweisse, if there was anything she needed to be sure of, regardless of any teasing, she needed to know that Rossweisse was whole-heartedly happy with the man she was with.

It just so happened that the number of people in the Ice Rink had dwindled, some on the ice had stood to one side and watched Adrien and Rossweisse glide across the ice in an utmost graceful manner. Although Rossweisse seemed too afraid to relax in fear of falling over, tightly hugging Adrien.

“I said I’d make sure you wouldn’t fall. So ease up a bit.” Adrien requested, “We’re here to enjoy ourselves aren’t we? So smile a bit.”

“Sorry, it’s just… the ability to accurately balance on Ice in this manner is more difficult to master than I expected.” Rossweisse muttered, earning a warm smile from Adrien.

“Try not to think so hard on it. Just enjoy yourself.” Adrien suggested. Once again the warm, fluttery feeling in Rossweisse’s heart manifested again. The way Adrien prioritised her happiness over his very being made her feel very special, beyond all words in fact.

The two continued to gracefully glide along the ice, Adrien even going as far as to twirl Rossweisse on the odd occasion. Rossweisse was simply left in awe at his unexpected graceful side.

* * *

_Later on…_

Deciding after a while to head on back to their residency. Adrien and Rossweisse was taking off their ice skates when Rossweisse noticed something was out of place. Strung up above her and Adrien was Mistletoe.

While in most circumstances, Mistletoe is often associated with Christmas, its traditions came from the Norse long ago and the Mistletoe being there made Rossweisse ponder, “(I shouldn’t overload him with what I want to convey… just a simple gesture of appreciation.)”

Rather daringly, while Adrien was focused on undoing his ice skates, Rossweisse placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, leaving him greatly shocked and blushing as he immediately knew what was happening. The kiss lingered longer than she originally planned but when she pulled away she immediately scrambled to come up with reason for doing so, “Don’t look into that deeply… I-It was a gesture of… Appreciation! For all the things you do for me.”

“In that case…” Adrien started, returning the kiss on the cheek, much to Rossweisse’s shock. “Your most welcome.” Adrien went so far as to give a rare smug grin, leaving a pouting expression that left Adrien thinking one thing… “(She’s adorable.)”

** End of Interlude Chapter 5 **


	44. Interlude Chapter 6- Thrúd Thorsdottir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thrud has worries over her performance on Mount Olympus but her father and Adrien are both around to try and take care of such worries.

_Asgard _

Thrúd was being rather meticulous when it came to her training, with the increase in strength the Khaos Brigade displayed at Mount Olympus, she couldn’t be put in danger like that again. She had to grow stronger, not just to protect herself, but to protect those around her and there was also the matter of pride.

With Thrúd being the daughter of a legendary Norse deity, people expected astronomical things from her. While she did have a lot of pride in coming from such a bloodline, it was also rather… tiresome for her to constantly uphold her family’s reputation.

“Having trouble concentrating?” Adrien pondered, having just noticed Thrúd focusing more than usual on her training, she had even let Xenovia take a break from sparring to focus on it.

“Oh hey Adrien.” Thrúd greeted, “I guess you could say that.”

“What’s on your mind?” Adrien asked.

“Since the whole fiasco at Mount Olympus, I can’t seem to better myself, Rossweisse excelled, so did Xenovia and Leon, even little Bennia too. I just feel like I’m dragging the group back.” Thrúd admitted, “I should’ve been better! I couldn’t even stand on my own two feet after the fighting.”

“Just because I seem invincible doesn’t mean I am. I’m far from it, I’ve lost battles… ended up not being the last one standing. Defeat is just as much a lesson as anything else.” Adrien explained.

“But with the Khaos Brigade, losing isn’t an option, if I was on my own, I could’ve died.” Thrúd pointed out.

“You have a powerful team to help you. You should count yourself fortunate in being born the daughter of a Norse Deity. I know you have the potential; you just need to harness it.” Adrien replied, putting a firm hand on Thrúd’s shoulder.

“But I don’t know how.” Thrúd admitted with a despondent look.

“Just have faith, you’re not the only person who needs to get stronger. We all do.” Adrien suggested.

“How is my precious daughter on this merry day?!” a joyful Thor, Norse God of Thunder asked, much to his daughter’s chagrin.

“I said I appreciated you looking out for me. I didn’t say anything about doting on me.” Thrúd complained, her blushing face not helping the scenario.

“I trust you’ve been taking good care of my daughter Adrien. You are one of the representatives for Asgard.” Thor said.

“Oh… Yeah, right.” Adrien said, not sure what to make of Thrúd’s father, they had met beforehand, but it was mostly small-talk, nothing major.

“Hey! I don’t need someone acting as a bodyguard you know!” Thrúd shouted, obviously unhappy with her father’s words.

“You should know your father’s habit’s by now Thrúd.” A woman with long black hair in what seemed to be the perfect mix of a soldier’s durable armor and a maiden’s beautiful dress said, this was Sif, a Norse Goddess associated with the earth, wife to Thor and mother to Thrúd. According to what little Adrien knew about Sif, she had for whatever reason chose to remain hidden until just after the Olympus ordeal.

“Say, Thrúd. Why don’t you let me, and Adrien have a chat while you and your mother take in some of the scenery for old times’ sake.” Thor suggested, Thrúd more than happy to get away from her doting father.

When the two were out of hearing range, Adrien spoke up, “I’m guessing you want to know what’s troubling her but know you won’t get anything out of her.”

“Yes, her independence is definitely something inherited from her mother.” Thor answered.

“She’s concerned about letting everyone down because she collapsed during the attack on Olympus.” Adrien explained, “I told her not to worry because she has what it takes but I don’t know how much it helped.”

“I appreciate you stepping in, otherwise this problem could last a long while. Let’s just hope it gets resolved quickly.” Thor stated with a smile. Despite the giant’s appearance that gave off an utmost terrifying appearance, he was a gentle soul deep down, whether it was because of his own maturity or an effect from his wife was uncertain, but the Norse God was satisfied with Thrúd being in Adrien’s care.

** End of Interlude Chapter 6 **


	45. Interlude Chapter 7- Xenovia Quarta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xenovia seeks aid in controlling the ever-so-fickle Durandal, also feeling inferior to those who previously wielded it. Adrian chooses to mentor Xenovia to see if things will improve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of the mini-chapters. I'll also be taking a hiatus to focus on completing the next arc. Thanks to those who have continued to read my work, it is something that puts a smile on my face.

_Asgard_

Adrien was monitoring a heated sparring session between Thrúd and Xenovia, while Xenovia had failed to best Thrúd in any sense, seeing that she was fairing far better than before was reassuring to say the least.

“It appears I have a long way to go before being able to best you.” Xenovia realised, once again failing to keep up with Thrúd.

“We’ll all have a lot of work to do, besides it’s just a spar and you’re permitted to lose a spar every so often.” Thrúd stated, “Keep up the good work, your form is improving.”

After Thrúd had left, Xenovia slumped down, part exhaustion from her rigorous training, part feeling down about how little progress she felt she made.

“Thrúd is dealing with the same issue you are. Both of you have a large chip on your shoulder and it’s causing you to lose focus of what’s in front of you.” Adrien noticed, approaching a tired Xenovia.

“It just… you know the story of Roland and Durandal?” Xenovia started, earning a nod from Adrien, “Well, according to rumors the previous wielder of Durandal is said to surpass Roland’s ability to wield it.”

“Durandal is known for being a picky weapon.” Adrien noted, “Although I know that you knew that already. Put it like this, Roland managed to kill 100,000 men with that sword, he didn’t just pick it up and do that, it took skill. All you have to do is work hard and show Durandal that you’re the one that commands its power, not the other way around.”

“It’s easier said than done.” Xenovia complained, her confidence was low due to the fact she couldn’t control Durandal.

“If Durandal’s destructive power is anything remotely similar to Ouroboros’ [Shattering Cannon], I think if you focus enough, you’ll be able to guide the aura from the sword to a target.” Adrien theorised, “Don’t worry, I’ll demonstrate.”

_In an isolated field…_

This field that Adrien used allowed him to privately hone the abilities of his Abnormal Gear. Even after Freyja’s scolding at his use of the Shattering Cannon, he still trained to master the technique. Adrien was donning Ouroboros’ Balance Breaker while Xenovia had Durandal at the ready.

“Watch.” Adrien said, charging the unstable energy from True Ouroboros that was used for the Shattering Cannon.

Xenovia stood back, obvious not wanting to be near if things went wrong, but she attentively watched the precise timing in how the unstable power looked as if it was going out of control, only for Adrien to perfectly and safely blast the energy forward as a long ranged attack.

“Now try it with Durandal, it should be easier but the Holy aura of Durandal is more stable.

Xenovia mimicked the overhead stance that Adrien did and focused Durandal’s power, it as per usual when she tried using it, wanted to disobey and rebel, but she knew that she had to discipline Durandal and let the weapon know that she held the reigns not it.

As the holy aura began building up, it was clear Xenovia was starting to struggle. This made clear as she was practically wrestling with her Holy Sword in order to control the power. Eventually, Xenovia steadied herself before pushing forward and unleashing Durandal’s powerful aura.

“That’s good for a first try. But it will need work.” Adrien commented, “Besides, Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

“Thank you Mentor.” Xenovia said gratefully.

** End of Interlude Chapter 7 **


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